It comes after Jenrick was asked about how Reform’s deportation policy compared to that of Restore Britain, led by Great Yarmouth MP Rupert Lowe, during an interview with Sky News on Sunday.
Restore has set out criteria for deportation for foreign nationals legally resident in the UK, which includes if they live in social housing.
Reform has proposed abolishing indefinite leave to remain (ILR) – a status that generally allows foreign nationals access to benefits, including social housing – and requiring migrants to reapply for new time-limited visas with tougher rules.
After Jenrick outlined the proposed changes, he was asked if he was saying that a foreign national legally resident in the UK could be deported just because they live in social housing.
Jenrick, the MP for Newark and a former immigration minister, replied: “Well, not exclusively because of that.
“But if they fail to meet our criteria because they’re not in work or they’re not working as many hours, not earning enough money, then they won’t be able to renew their work visa because ILR won’t exist, and they will be asked to leave.”
He added social housing would be “purely for British citizens”.