Theresa May says decision to destroy landing cards of Windrush migrants was taken under Labour

The clash followed a highly personal attack by the Labour leader, who said it was Mrs May’s "pandering to bogus immigration targets" when she was Home Secretary that had cost people jobs, homes and pensions.

As tensions rose with John Bercow, the Speaker, having to intervene to calm people down, Mr Corbyn challenged Mrs May, questioning whether it was under her watch at the Home Office from 2010 that thousands of landing cards of Commonwealth citizens, which could have helped confirm their immigration status.

However, after a dramatic pause, Mrs May rose to say the destruction had taken place in 2009 under the former Labour Government; even though the Home Office had previously said it had been carried out in 2010, the year the Conservative-led coalition took office.

Her disclosure prompted loud shouts from the Conservative benches for Mr Corbyn to "apologise".

Later, No 10 described the decision to destroy the papers as an “operational” one made by officials of the UK Border Agency and not ministers. “I should stress at no point have we criticised that decision and nor did the PM seek to do so,” said her spokesman.

But Labour HQ accused the Government of shifting its story by the hour.

A spokesman said: “First, Downing Street claimed the decision to destroy the Windrush-era landing cards was made by the Home Office in 2010 for data protection reasons. Then the Home Office passed the buck to a 2010 decision by the UK Border Agency.

"At PMQs, the Prime Minister tried to shift the blame onto the last Labour Government but was undermined by her own spokesperson minutes later, who then stated it was an operational decision, which Labour ministers would not have been aware of. Her spokesperson couldn't even say when the cards were destroyed.”

The spokesman added: "In the confusion, one thing is already clear: the change in the law in 2014 that meant members of the Windrush Generation faced deportation and the loss of their rights, including to healthcare, was made in full view of the fact that the vital information had been destroyed.

"The Home Secretary at the time must be held to account for the disastrous impact her 'hostile environment' policies have had on the lives of British citizens."

In the Commons chamber, Mrs May told MPs the Government was committed to helping those who had had their immigration status questioned by the Home Office to resolve their position as quickly as possible.

She declared: "These people are British. They are part of us. I want to be absolutely clear that we have no intention of asking anyone to leave who has the right to remain here.

"For those who have mistakenly received letters challenging them, I want to apologise to them and I want to say sorry to anyone who has been caused confusion and anxiety by this."

Mr Corbyn described the handling of the Windrush Generation as a “shameful episode” and that the responsibility for it lay firmly at the PM’s door.

"Her pandering to bogus immigration targets led to a hostile environment for people contributing to our country,” he stressed.

But Mrs May hit back with a reference to an impassioned Commons debate on Tuesday when a series of Labour MPs rose to condemn anti-Semitism within their own party’s ranks.

"I will not take an accusation of callous from a man who allows anti-Semitism to run rife in his party," she said.

The exchanges came as it emerged 49 people had on Tuesday contacted a new Home Office hotline set up to help Commonwealth citizens whose immigration status has been challenged.

After Labour’s Diane Abbott urged Amber Rudd to “consider her position” ie resign, No 10 made clear the PM had “full confidence” in the Home Secretary.