LONDON- After making remarks about Britain's immigration policy that sparked a heated argument between the government and the BBC's highest-paid presenter, former England soccer captain Gary Lineker was removed .

According to the BBC, Director General Tim Davie said it had taken "proportionate action" after telling Lineker that a consensus position on his use of social media must exist before he can return.

The BBC was accused of caving into political pressure, and the controversy overshadowed a migration agreement reached between French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

The opposition Labour Party urged the BBC to reconsider its choice, claiming that taking Gary Lineker off the air was an attack on free speech in the face of political pressure.

The BBC's action was deemed "indefensible" by Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister of Scotland.

Individual cases are a matter for the BBC, according to the Department of Culture, Media, and Sport.

Britain revealed the specifics of a new law on Tuesday, which would prevent migrants arriving in small boats across the English Channel from requesting asylum and instead send them back to their home countries or so-called safe third countries.

For its effects on actual refugees, it drew criticism from opposition parties, charities, and the U.N. refugee agency.

With the comment "Good heavens, this is beyond awful," Lineker, who has previously hosted refugees in his home, retweeted a post with a video of interior minister Suella Braverman discussing the law.

When he was challenged, he responded: "This is just an immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in a language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 1930s, and I'm out of order?"

Sunak's spokeswoman called Lineker's remarks "unacceptable" after they were made, but he vowed to "continue to try and speak up for those poor souls that have no voice" in the face of the criticism.

The BBC said after talks with Lineker and his team that it had decided he would step back from presenting its flagship Match of the Day (MOTD) soccer highlights programme "until we've got an agreed-upon and clear position on his use of social media".

The move by the corporation was "deeply concerning," according to the Bectu union, which is the employer of thousands of BBC employees.

The BBC announced that Saturday's episode would "focus on match action without studio presentation or punditry" after four of the show's regular pundits, former England players Ian Wright, Alan Shearer, Jermaine Jenas, and Micah Richards, said they did not wish to appear on the program without Lineker.

The show's commentators left Saturday's broadcast as well, leaving BBC management dependent on World Feed commentary, MOTD commentator Steve Wilson later tweeted.

For more than 20 years, Lineker has presided over MOTD, and the affable 62-year-old has never shied away from sharing his opinions on current affairs.

However, the BBC asserted that it believed his most recent social media activity to have violated its policies.

"We have never said Gary should be an opinion-free zone, or that he can't have a view on issues that matter to him, but we have said he should keep well away from taking sides on party political issues or political controversies," the statement continued.

The BBC is a major player in British cultural life and is supported by what amounts to an annual "license fee" tax of 159 pounds ($192) on all households that watch television. It declares its dedication to maintaining political neutrality.

With earnings of more than 1.3 million pounds in 2021–2022, Lineker, who played for teams like his hometown club Leicester City, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur, and Barcelona, is the BBC's highest-paid personality. He has not yet responded to the suspension.

When Lineker tweeted a question about whether the ruling Conservative Party would return funds from Russian donors, the BBC's complaints unit determined that Lineker had violated editorial standards for impartiality.

Richard Sharp, the head of the BBC, is facing criticism for not disclosing his role in arranging a loan for the late Prime Minister Boris Johnson just before he assumed the position. Britain's public appointments watchdog is currently investigating his appointment, which was made on the government's recommendation.