Because of a comparison of British refugee policy with Nazi Germany, the BBC has reprimanded its football presenter Gary Lineker. The former England international will be "reminded of his responsibility," the public broadcaster said on Wednesday night. Conservative MP Craig Mackinlay told the Telegraph newspaper that Lineker's comment was "lazy, ill-conceived and shameful". The BBC must dismiss the 62-Year-old.
Lineker had described the new asylum law of the conservative British government as "more than terrible" in a tweet on Tuesday. In response to criticism that he was "out of order," he replied, "This is an immeasurably cruel policy directed against the most vulnerable, in language not unlike that of Germany in the 1930s, and I'm not supposed to be entirely comforting?"
The British government wants to detain migrants who enter without official permission in shelters and then deport them to Rwanda or other countries. The right to apply for asylum is to be withdrawn from them. The plans could violate the European Convention on Human Rights. Interior Minister Suella Braverman had spoken of an "invasion" in view of the increasing number of people coming into the country via the English Channel.
The BBC is committed to clear neutrality. Lineker, who has about 8.6 million followers on Twitter, has repeatedly criticized the conservative government. The former striker is considered the highest-paid BBC presenter with a base salary of 1.35 million pounds (1.51 million euros).