The Secretary of State for the Home Department appeared on the news channel to discuss her latest plan to solve the migrant issue.

Shabana Mahmood and Trevor Phillips clashed on Sky News

Secretary of State for the Home Department Shabana Mahmood clashed with Sky News presenter Trevor Phillips as she defended her latest migrant deal as Labour continue to struggle with the issue of illegal immigration. As she attempted to explain the thinking behind the new plan Phillips interjected pressing her on the issue leading to her repeating herself as she tried to get her point across.

As Mahmood insisted the government were “making progress” Phillips raised the issue of the one in one out scheme, which has so far proven a failure with one of the deportees already returning to the UK. “Let me ask you this are you going to ask the French government to hand back the 500 million quid that we’ve given them? They’re not doing the job,” he said cutting across her. “We’re working very closely with our colleagues in France. I’ve had good discussions myself with interior ministers in France, of course, there have been some issues..” she acknowledged as Phillips once again cut across her.

“We are making progress,” she insisted. “We’ve got got the historic returns agreement with France, the so called one in, one out policy.

“We’ve seen over 100 people return to France. We are starting to break the business model of those who sell, as you say, these effectively package tours across the channel.

“We’ve had people who’ve been returned and now somebody who’s been returned twice, who now know that actually they’re wasting their money getting on a boat in the channel.”

“It is, of course, going to take some time to make all of these changes….Actually, the proposals I’m announcing will change the calculus of people who are looking to make illegal channel crossing,” she said before being interrupted again.

Shabana Mahmood was challenged by Trevor Phillips on Sky News (Image: Sky News)

Phillips scoffed: “The one in one out policy turned out to be one in one out, one backin , because the French aren’t actually keeping them.”

“Let me just challenge that,” Mahmood shot back, “because the individual who returned was quickly picked up by us.

“The biometrics immediately showed us that this is a person who’s got no right to be here and had already been returned to France.

“We’ve already deported one of those individuals. The second is due for deportation very soon.

“We are showing the organised crime gangs and the migrants themselves that are looking to get in the channel this is not worth your time. This is not a deal worth doing. Do not get in that boat.”