Minister backs deportation flight to send 50 to Jamaica
● But 150 MPS call for a halt as many deportees have no islands connection
A senior minister has defendedaplantopushonwitha flight deporting 50 people to Jamaica despite widespread calls for the jet to be grounded.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Rishi Sunak insisted yesterday that those being forcibly removed had committed “very serious offences” and their deportations were “reasonable”.
But more than 150 cross-party MPS have called on the government to halt today’s flight, which is expected to include a young man who moved to the UK aged five. And a leaked report commissioned by ministers warned the government the policy should be reconsidered in all but the “most severe cases”.
Mr Sunak said he believed the flight was “right” and the British public would expect foreign national offenders to be deported. What that plane is about is deporting foreign national criminals,” he said. “Many of these people have committed crimes such as manslaughter, rape, other very serious offences.
“It’s reasonable, it’s proportionate, and something the British people would expect us to do for foreign criminals who have committed very seriouscrimeswhoshouldbesent back to their countries where they have a right to reside elsewhere.”
Mr Sunak was asked about the case of Tajay Thompson, who is facing deportation to Jamaica having served half of a 15-month sentence in 2015 after being convicted of possessing class A drugs with intent to supply at 17. Mr Thompson, now 23 and living in south London, said he had no links to the Caribbean nation that he has only visited twice since coming to the UK aged five.
“I feel like I was born here. Jamaica is not my country,” Mr Thompson said as he insisted he was groomed into a gang as a teenager.
“It’s not like I’m a rapist or a murderer, I’ve made a mistake when I was 17 and it’s now going to affect my whole life.”
Mr Sunak said he was not familiar with Mr Thompson’s case, but insisted “all due process will have been followed”.
Bella Sankey, director of Detention Action, said: “Mr Sunak is misrepresenting the individuals scheduled for deportation.
“Our information indicates that most have been convicted of drugs-related offences, often only once, and several have been groomed into county lines operations.
“These individuals are more British than foreign and their removal is neither reasonable nor proportionate.”
Labour MP Nadia Whittome organised the letter protesting against the Home Office flight, which she says is intended to deport people who have been resident in the UK for decades.
“The fact is that many of the individuals in question have lived in the UK since they were children and at least 41 British children are now at risk of losing their fathers,” the Nottingham East MP said.