Deportation flight to Jamacia leaves UK after 43 granted last-minute reprieve

11 August 2021, 06:50 | Updated: 11 August 2021, 19:03

The efforts of the Home Office were frustrated by legal challenges
The efforts of the Home Office were frustrated by legal challenges. Picture: Alamy
EJ Ward

By EJ Ward

A UK deportation flight to Jamaica left with just seven "foreign criminals" on board after 43 were granted a last-minute legal reprieve, the Home Office has said.

The flight, which was originally due to carry 50 people, is understood to have taken off in the early hours of Wednesday.

Campaigners had been trying to halt the flight amid concerns over the Windrush scandal.

There have been claims some of those on board may have a right to British citizenship, while there were also fears over coronavirus.

Some MPs called on the Government to review the flight, with Labour's Diane Abbott calling mass deportations "cruel, arbitrary, a double punishment and expensive".

But the Home Office branded the individuals foreign offenders "who broke our laws, abused our hospitality, and have no place in our society".

Those on board had been convicted of offences such as rape, sexual offences against children, assault and possession of offensive weapons, the department said.

It also insisted "no-one on the flight was born in the UK" and "all those returned are Jamaican nationals".

The Home Office added that there had been "extensive checks" carried out to make sure none of the people on the flight were eligible for the Windrush scheme, adding: "None of those deported were British Citizens, British Nationals or members of the Windrush generation."

Campaigners say some may have come to the UK as children. The department is yet to confirm whether this is the case, but said a person's age upon arrival in the UK or their nationality are not exceptions to automatic deportation.

Caller facing deportation to Jamaica shares situation with LBC

The Home Office said the 43 offenders who had originally been due to fly had sentences totalling "245 years and included crimes such murder, attempted murder, rape, sex offences against minors, drugs and firearms offences. Of those last-minute barriers, 18 cases were only made in the final 24 hours prior to deportation."

The Government said all those on board would have been sentenced to 12 months or more behind bars to qualify to be deported.

It also said it offered everyone on the flight a coronavirus test, but did not confirm whether all those on board were tested - and produced negative results - before take-off.

Face masks were due to be worn, unless there was an exemption, and social distancing would be adhered to, a Home Office spokeswoman added.

Bella Sankey, the director of Detention Action which has been helping with some of the legal challenges, described the situation as "complete chaos" and claimed one of those the organisation was trying to assist had "clear potential" Windrush links.

In a post on Twitter she said: "The Home Office hasn't got a clue what it's doing," adding: "Charter flights are an abomination."

Jacqueline McKenzie, a lawyer who campaigns for justice for the Windrush generation, said: "Deportation is ghastly and inhumane. We need urgent dialogue at an international and community level."

Last year, government adviser and lawyer Martin Forde QC said deportation flights were "seriously undermining" the Home Office's work on the Windrush compensation scheme because victims of the scandal "don't trust" the department.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said the offenders were responsible for "some of the most appalling crimes" and had "left their victims living with the scars of the crimes that took place against them", adding: "The Government uses every means to continue to remove foreign nationals who have committed crimes against our citizens.

"We remove foreign criminals from the UK to different countries every week and this flight is no different."

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

Border Force staff will walk out from April 11

Hundreds of Border Force officers at Heathrow Airport to stage four-day strike

Stephen Bear was ordered to pay Ms Harrison £5,000.

Disgraced reality TV star Stephen Bear ordered to pay £27,000 over revenge porn conviction or face nine months in jail

Sam Bankman-Fried

FTX founder Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison for crypto fraud

Exclusive
Covid no excuse for death of Finley Boden who was murdered by drug-addled parents, child protection chief says

Covid no excuse for death of Finley Boden who was murdered by drug-addled parents, child protection chief says

Israel Palestinians UN Security Council

Russia ‘abolishes’ monitoring of sanctions on North Korea with UN veto

France Valentino

Former Gucci designer Alessandro Michele named Valentino creative director

Know your limits this summer, Brits have been warned

‘Know your limits’: Brits heading to the Euros this summer warned against drinking ‘too much German beer’

Russia Shooting

Russia arrests another suspect in concert hall attack that killed 143

Sam Bankman-Fried has been jailed for 25 years for a $8bn crypto fraud

'Crypto King' Sam Bankman-Fried jailed for 25 years for stealing billions of dollars from his customers

Michael Gove has been urged to 'get on with' passing the rental reforms

Ministers accused of making 'major concessions to landlords' after renters reforms 'watered down'

Supermarket opening times for Easter 2024: Trading hour revealed for Sainsbury's, Asda, Tesco, Morrisons and Aldi

Supermarket opening times for Easter 2024: Trading hours revealed for Sainsbury's, Asda, Tesco, Morrisons and Aldi

It is believed the litter picking tool was mistaken for a firearm, Northumbria Police said

Schools locked down by police after litter picker mistaken for firearm

Lewes prison

Medical incident declared at Lewes prison after several inmates hospitalised with food poisoning

Sandro Tonali

Newcastle United star charged with breaching FA gambling rules 50 times

The protesters staged a bike collision to gain entrance into the department

Pro-Palestine protestors chant 'from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free' as they occupy British Ministry

American Easter egg

White House’s annual Easter egg roll to be attended by 40,000 people