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Labour is expected to end the practice of deporting children who arrived in Britain without permission to stay once they turn 18.

Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott is set to declare the move today by as she discusses Labour policy after Brexit .

Ms Abbott is also expected to say that under a Labour government, carers and parents of legally admitted child refugees would be allowed to join them in Britain.

The policies are to be announced in a speech vowing to end "family break-up through the immigration system".

In 2015 the Bureau of Investigative Journalism revealed 600 former child asylum seekers had been sent back to Aghanistan.

Others have told of receiving texts after their 18th birthday telling them they were in Britain illegally.

"We will end the practice of deporting the children currently without entitlement to be here once they turn 18, even when their parents are entitled to be here," Labour said today.

(Image: REUTERS)

Ms Abbott will also use the speech to give the first hint of the direction of Labour's immigration policy after leaving the EU.

Until now Labour promised "fair and reasonable" management of migration, but not spelt out in detail what that might mean.

Jeremy Corbyn is facing pressure from Labour MPs to soften his Brexit stance and effectively stay in the single market - which would prevent a crackdown on free movement.

But Labour figures are understood to be considering a visa and 'green card' system that would introduce controls on workers coming to Britain.

A leaked draft of plans last year proposed axing the rule that stops foreign spouses joining their partners in Britain if they earn less than £18,600.

The plans also proposed bringing back a visa scheme for "low-skilled, unskilled and seasonal" workers, such as fruit pickers or hospital porters.

In one scheme understood to be looked at, a green card system for high-skilled jobs would be available in parallel to such a visa system.

(Image: Christopher Lee/Getty)

Ms Abbott is set to use her speech to attack the cap on skilled workers under the current visa system.

Britain has hit the cap for the third month in a row - despite a desperate need to recruit more NHS staff.

It comes after Jeremy Corbyn hinted at a possible softening of Labour's Brexit stance by saying there will "have to" be a customs union between Britain and the EU.

He said: "We have to have access to European markets, we have to have a customs union that makes sure we can continue that trade, particularly between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. That is key to it."

He added: “Being a member of the single market is automatic if you’re a member of the EU.

"If we’re not in the EU, we’re not automatically a member of it.

“So what we are determined to achieve is a tariff-free trade relationship with Europe, but also to say that we’re not proposing a deregulation of our economy to undercut Europe.

"And we’re not proposing a sweetheart deal with the USA or anyone else which would result in deregulation, for example through agriculture. We’re very determined to achieve that.”