Last week’s Titan Airways charter flight with 29 “dangerous convicts” on board from the United Kingdom was clearly a misrepresentation of facts by the Home Office, says Desmond Jaddoo, head of a UK pressure group.
“The Home Office’s characterisation of these Jamaicans as convicts was most unfortunate. At the least, the term ‘ex-convict’ would have painted a more accurate picture,” he said.
Jaddoo told The Gleaner that there was no evidence to suggest that any of the persons deported last Wednesday were removed from a prison cell before being sent to Jamaica.
“On the contrary, it has emerged that those who had been convicted of offences had actually served their time, and had been released back into their home communities in the UK. In fact, many had begun turning their lives around,” Jaddoo said.
NO DEPORTATION ORDER IMPOSED
Marlon (last name withheld) was one of those on the Titan Airways flight. He lived in Birmingham, and was convicted of intent to supply Class A drugs with a street value of £1,000.
“This man pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 45 months’ imprisonment. Interestingly, the judge did not impose a deportation order on him, as he acknowledged that he had a young family to support,” said Jaddoo.
Marlon served 23 months and was released and went home and became the main caregiver for his 10-year-old daughter, one of three children, and was residing there legitimately until the Home Office revoked his right to stay.
The Gleaner was told that Marlon was detained on January 22 and was told on the night of February 5 that he was being deported at 6 a.m. the following day.
“He had no belongings and was placed on the flight. His family only became aware of his deportation at 3 a.m. on the morning of the flight. His saving grace after arriving in Jamaica has been strangers who have now come to his rescue. Otherwise, he would be roaming the streets,” Jaddoo noted.
He stated that there has been backlash in Britain against the government and Home Secretary Sajid Javid for not only the discriminatory treatment of Jamaicans, but also for their failure to resolve the Windrush issues prior to returning to the hostile environment treatment.
The hostile environment policy is a set of administrative and legislative measures designed to make staying in the UK as difficult as possible for people without permanent residency in the hope that they may voluntarily leave. First announced in 2012, then Home Secretary Theresa May said: “The aim is to create, here in Britain, a really hostile environment for illegal immigrants.”
Jaddoo said: “This was never a convict flight, as all had served their time and were back at home with their families. They were just ripped from their families and deported.”
Last week, a charter flight with the 29 “serious foreign criminals” touched down at Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston. Among the offences they were convicted of are rape, murder, dangerous driving and robbery, as well as drug, firearm and weapons offences.
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So what ministry of foreign affairs doing bout dis?
Jamaican govt nuh business they busy scraping spoils and kissing ass
Mi head a teck mi like fi Latty. Mi feel like Jamaica fi declare Patois as the national language and label English as the secondary.
See when Garvey did a preach him ting a hundred years ago see di relevance still today. Deze ppl after dem suck out di ppl dem labour fi build up dem ramshackle place dem a decide di ppl dem no longer needed. Dis Marlon not even hab a peel neck fowl or dawg a Jamaica and dem send him with not a backward glance. Feem headpiece must a blow off. Thank mi lucky stars I never step foot not even pon a connection flight in dem country, I not interested in supporting the land of slave traders. Imagine being sent to a place where you not even have a bank account. Meck all a dem in deze countries memba fi puddung summen a dem born place cause when persecution come is dere dem will haffi look. Dats why mi all top up mi Digicel number tideh cause if sitten happen and mi haffi land a yawd mi nuh haffi fret bout reaching smaddy. I don’t trust none a dem country yah, even if you legal and have no criminal record if hard time teck dem and starvation a lick dem will dash you out fi save who born deh, wuss if you nuh hab name or money fi back you. I trust none a dem!
They are doing this to many foreigners, not only Jamaicans. Clearly they want them to leave their country, and it will get worst. They are going to deport a lot of people, who they cant deport so easy
will be forced to leave by themself. All those who have no citizenship whatch out!!
While every country reserve and retain a sovereign right to their policies, we’re assuming if there is a successful post brexit, there will be a mass deportation of bulgarians,polish,hungarians romanians etc. our eyes are wide open, now if those jackasses that we called our nation’s government on both sides of the political aisle, had any common sense or humanitarian decency, money for prison couldn’t be a proposition on the table, instead, it would be funding for a resettlement program for deportees.
Another #Stupid idea could be to levy an auxillary tax on the current departure tax on JAMAICAN citizens only who departs the country, whether short term, long term or permanent departure, couple that with an arrangement/agreement with current embassies and consulates in JA to levy an additional fee on visas and other applications, those monies could be directed to a govt. fund that could help with resettlement of deportees, I said #stupid sarcasticly.