Parents and school staff praise flight ban teacher
Parents and teachers have voiced their support for the Welsh Muslim “made to feel like a criminal” after being removed from a plane heading for the US.
Popular teacher and Swansea University graduate Juhel Miah was removed from a plane bound for New York in Reykjavik, Iceland, while travelling with a group from Llangatwg Community School, Port Talbot.
Birmingham-born Mr Miah, 25, spent the first two years of his teaching career at the Neath school and had already proved popular because of his enthusiasm, head teacher Alan Rowlands said.
Mum Angela Sparks also praised the young maths teacher.
Ms Sparks said: “Mr Miah is such a fantastic person and a brilliant teacher who teaches both my sons, Morgan and Thomas.
“My son was going to go on that trip but had to pull out at the last minute, but we know that a lot of the children who were on that trip were really distressed.
“My son keeps asking me if Mr Miah will be there after half-term because he is the reason that he is doing so well at maths.
“He’s been brilliant with the kids since he started at the school.”
The reason for the US refusing entry to Mr Miah is currently unclear.
Head teacher Mr Rowlands said the children had been going to America on a “cultural exercise” to “see the sights and sounds of New York”.
But, he added, the incident had “cast a shadow” over the trip.
“One thing we are looking for is answers,” he said.
“In a world where we try to encourage openness and tolerance of all people, no matter what gender, sexuality or ethnicity, it really does send the wrong message to young people.
“We’re still no closer to finding out what happened. Carwyn Jones is taking it up with Boris Johnson but so far we’ve had no explanation.
“He had a valid visa and he was allowed on the plane.”
And although the half-term holiday had prevented him talking to pupils, he said he had “no doubt they will give him their full support”.
Mr Miah, 25, said previously that he had his luggage taken from him and was forced to stay in a “horrendous hotel” before school officials booked him on a flight back to the UK.
“We got to the airport, and as soon as we got to check-in the lady behind the desk read my passport and then straightaway said, ‘you’ve been selected for a random security check’,” he said.
“She took me to the room, made me stand on a stool, take my shoes off, jacket off, checked under my foot, got a swab to brush over my hand and bag, my clothing and school hoodie. They gave me the all-clear and then I went. The search was about five minutes at least. There were five or six people in the room, two searched me.”
Mr Miah said he was cleared to board the flight before he was approached by a woman who told him to follow her.
“Everyone was looking at me,” he said.
“‘I’ve just been informed that you can’t board this plane’, she said. She wasn’t an Icelandic air official, the Icelandic air officials were brilliant.”
He said: “As I was getting my luggage the teachers and kids were confused. I couldn’t believe this was happening. All the plane was quiet. I was being escorted out. It made me feel like a criminal. I couldn’t speak, I was lost for words.”
Mr Miah, who lives in Swansea, said he was escorted to an area of the airport where he was reunited with his luggage.
“They then took me to a hotel, where I was waiting for two hours for a room. It was horrendous.
“My phone battery was dying so I went to my suitcase, and that’s when I realised the padlock was missing. I was so paranoid, I didn’t sleep or eat for two days.”
Mr Miah said he visited both the US and British embassies in Reykjavik but claimed the phone numbers he was given did not work. He returned to the UK a day later.
While the trip proceeded as planned, Mr Miah said his removal from the flight left pupils and colleagues “shocked and distressed”.
Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council has written to the Embassy of the United States of America in London to express its dismay at the treatment of one of its employees.
A council spokesman said: “We are appalled by the treatment of Mr Miah and are demanding an explanation. The matter has also been raised with our local MP.
“No satisfactory reason has been provided for refusing entry to the United States – either at the airport in Iceland or subsequently at the US Embassy in Reykjavik.
“Mr Miah attempted to visit the Embassy, but was denied access to the building. Understandably he feels belittled and upset at what appears to be an unjustified act of discrimination.”
A travel ban on people from seven Muslim-majority nations being allowed entry into the US was launched by President Donald Trump on January 27, triggering chaos at airports around the world. The order was suspended during a court battle on February 9 and Mr Trump’s revised order, which is understood to be under development, has not yet been signed.
The US Embassy has been asked to comment.
Neath Labour AM Jeremy Miles said he was “appalled” to hear about the incident involving Mr Miah and said he would be raising it with the Welsh Government to ask them to make representations to central government.
Neath MP Christina Rees said: “Mr Miah was subjected to a humiliating and distressing experience, not only preventing him from boarding his plane to New York or entering the US Embassy in Iceland, but also stranding him in a foreign country whilst his fellow travellers continued on their journey. This also led to a potentially serious situation where a trip was left with one teacher down, raising questions about the effect on the safeguarding of the children.”
She added: “I shall be writing to Prime Minister Theresa May, the UK Foreign Secretary and the US Embassy to raise my concerns and demand a full apology.”
A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: “We are providing support to a British man who was prevented from boarding a flight in Reykjavik.”