HOME Secretary Priti Patel has delivered a direct warning to the public after Scots stopped a dawn raid.
Hundreds of people chanted "let them go" when Sumit Sehdev and Lakhvir Singh, a chef and a mechanic, were taken by an immigration team earlier this month.
The Indian men are suspected of having overstayed their visas after more than a decade in the UK.
The so-called dawn raid in Kenmure Street, Glasgow, attracted condemnation from migration campaigners and the Scottish Government.
Sehdev and Singh were let go after eight hours and now have new legal representation.
Meanwhile, advice on how to disrupt, document or prevent immigration enforcement teams from taking people into detention have been shared widely through social media networks.
READ MORE: Fears for man held after 'secret' dawn raid as police stay silent
The Home Office has described the crowds in Kenmure Street, which included mothers with children, as a "mob".
In a keynote speech for Tory think-tank Bright Blue today, Patel gave a pointed warning to the public against attempting a repeat of the May 13 action.
Claiming that the UK has been "frustrated by those who know how to play the system", Patel sought to link immigration enforcement operations to the removal of serious criminal offenders.
There has been no suggestion that the Kenmure Street men are guilty of any such criminality.
She said more than 800 foreign national offenders have been deported since the start of the year, "but there is much more to do".
Patel stated: "I have a message to those who seek to disrupt our enforcement officers – they should think about whether their actions may be preventing murderers, rapists, high-harm offenders from being removed from our communities and they should think long and hard about the victims of these crimes.
"We will not allow such disruption to prevail.
"Dismissing public concern about this state of affairs is monstrous.
"Refusing to deal with it would be a gross dereliction of duty. Enough is enough.
"We are listening to the British people and we will deliver for them."
READ MORE: Priti Patel claims SNP would have 'open borders' immigration policy
Patel insisted the Brexit referendum result and her government's General Election win has provided a mandate to pursue its immigration agenda. However, she didn't acknowledge the Remain vote in Scotland or her party's far lower General Election support here, where the SNP emerged as the largest party.
Asked directly about the fact that the Kenmure Street protest shows that not all of the public agrees with the Conservatives' approach to migration, she said: "In response to Glasgow and the removal of people that had no legal right to be in the UK, I've already said my remarks today, we will continue to do that.
"That is effectively what the British public have voted for, what they want and actually it's part of my legal duty as well.
"I have responsibilities not just in terms of immigration and enforcement but removing those with no legal right to be here and the incident alone, through – very much strengthened through the New Plan for Immigration – the work that we are doing to reinforce the legal powers that we have as a government, but also as I have remarked continuously throughout my speech, making sure that we provide legal protections and safe routes for people that are fleeing persecution and removing those with no legal basis to stay here."
Charity Positive Action in Housing has said that Sehdev and Singh "are categorically not criminals".
Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said: "The people of Glasgow have had enough of the institutionally racist Home Office operating its brutal and inhumane immigration regime in our city.
READ MORE: Dawn raids: Home Office wanted Scottish Sikh group to back removals
"They will no longer stand by and watch their vulnerable neighbours cruelly snatched from their homes.
"Until Scotland has the powers to build our own system, we can continue to resist the brutality of the Home Office. We must resource our communities, so they are able to actively resist, and support those organisations who are operating on the front line to support asylum seekers, refugees and all migrants in our community."
And SNP immigration spokesperson Anne McLaughlin MP said: "Scotland absolutely did not vote for these cruel immigration raids or any of the other toxic Tory migration policies. Nor did we vote for the Tory government or their hard Brexit that is making the UK more isolationist as the weeks go on.
"The people of Glasgow and elsewhere in Scotland have made it abundantly clear that they will not stand by and let the Home Office ramp up these inhumane raids.
"We have made it clear we want a humane migration and asylum system that works for Scotland based on fairness, dignity and respect - just like our social security system. Priti Patel’s speech today made clear that Scotland isn’t going to get that from Westminster."
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel