The immigration minister has defended the UK Border Agency after MPs criticised the agency saying it is failing to do enough to deport foreigners who have been convicted of crimes.

Damian Green told the Today programme's Sarah Montague that "the agency was in a state of complete chaos", from the previous government "and it's getting better slowly....the asylum system is immeasurably better than it was".

He said foreign criminals are being removed more quickly than ever before and there are two things the government must do: "Clear up the mistakes of the past and make sure the same errors don't happen now".

Mr Green said that the deportation process of foreigners who have been convicted of crimes starts 18 months before the end of their sentence "to speed up the process".

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