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A Tory minister has exposed a flaw in Theresa May's Brexit threat after admitting officials don't have a way to find and deport all EU nationals.

Robert Goodwill made his confession today after the Prime Minister refused to guarantee EU citizens who already live in Britain can stay after Brexit.

Mrs May was accused of turning the 2.1million people into "bargaining chips" when she said Britain should get parallel vows for its expats first.

Despite insisting EU nationals are expected to get protection, the government is stopping short of a cast-iron guarantee - prompting widespread anger.

Green Party co-leader Caroline Lucas warned deportations would be neither "right nor moral".

Now Mr Goodwill has admitted the government is not "in a position" to make them happen even if it wanted to.

The new Immigration Minister was grilled on the policy by the powerful Home Affairs Select Committee in Parliament.

Labour MP Chuka Umunna asked him: "Are you in a position to identify and therefore remove every EU citizen in this country?"

At first the minister scoffed: "I can't see a situation where we'd even think about that."

But pressed again he said: "No, we are not in the position.

"And I can't foresee a circumstance where we would want to be in that position."

Mr Umunna shot back: "So what on earth is the point in holding out the hope that somehow you could not guarantee them the right to stay here?

(Image: REUTERS)

"If you can't identify all the EU nationals in our country and therefore be in a position to remove them, what on earth is the point carrying on with this pretence that somehow, if you weren't to guarantee them the right to stay, you could get rid of them.

"You've just told us you can't!"

Mr Goodwill said: "I can see the route you're trying to take me down. It's not a route I ever think we're going to be going down.

"We've made it clear that we wish to protect the status of EU nationals living here in the UK."

He also warned any attempt to "fiddle the figures" on immigration would be a "let down" to the British public.

Mr Goodwill rejected calls for overseas students to be removed from net migration counts - as he insisted the government remained committed to its target to reduce the total to the tens of thousands.

Figures released last month showed net long-term migration - the difference between the number of people arriving and leaving the UK - stood at an estimated 327,000 in the year to March.

(Image: Reuters)

Mr Goodwill also confirmed plans to build a "big new wall" at Calais as part of security arrangements at the port in northern France.

The 4m high, 1km long barrier is the latest in a number of measures introduced after a surge in migrant incursions.

Mr Goodwill said: "The security that we are putting in at the port is being stepped up with better equipment.

"We are going to start building this big new wall very soon. We've done the fence, now we are doing a wall."