BBC apologizes for sacking 1986 World Cup top scorer from broadcaster over criticism of UK immigration policy

247 – After being suspended from the BBC for criticizing the language used by ministers when discussing the asylum policy of the Rishi Sunak government, former footballer Gary Lineker will return to presenting sports programming on the broadcaster.

“After a few surreal days, I’m glad we were able to find a way around this. I would like to thank everyone for their fantastic support, especially my colleagues at BBC Sport for their fantastic displays of solidarity. Football is a team sport, but their support has been incredible.” Lineker wrote on Twitter.

Lineker’s departure prompted other former players working as commentators to announce that they would not participate in the broadcast on Saturday (11), in solidarity with the presenter of the “Match of the Day” program. Some active athletes refused post-game interviews with the broadcaster in question.

A Twitter post by Lineker comparing the British government’s proposed immigration policy to that of Nazi Germany caused a crisis in the network. Lineker tweeted: “This is an immeasurably cruel policy targeting the most vulnerable people with language not unlike that used by Germany in the 1930s. Am I off duty?”

Follow up on recommendations

Interior Minister Soyla Braverman said Lineker’s tweets “minimized the unspeakable tragedy” of the Holocaust. She told the BBC’s Political Thinking podcast: “I think, from a personal point of view, it’s offensive to hear that description because – as I said – my husband is Jewish, and so my children are directly descended from people killed in the gas chambers during the Holocaust.”

(Office article powered by artificial intelligence)

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