Audley Harrison's Dad On How He Was Stopped From Returning To UK
16 April 2018, 14:55 | Updated: 16 April 2018, 18:19
The father of Olympic gold medalist Audley Harrison called LBC to reveal how he was stopped by immigration officials from boarding a plane back to the UK.
Vincent phoned James O’Brien after it emerged some British residents of the Windrush generation faced immigration problems.
Many long-term immigrants who arrived from the Commonwealth as children have been told they’re here illegally.
Downing Street said Theresa May would hold a meeting with counterparts from Caribbean states this week to discuss concerns.
Vincent Harrison arrived in Britain when he was 22 years-old, almost 40 years ago.
But following a holiday in Jamaica back in 2006, he found himself almost not being allowed to return home.
He told James he was travelling on his Jamaican passport, which he’d previously used for other trips such as to America.
Vincent said: “I was about to board the plane very late, I went to the lady who was doing my papers and she rolled her eyes.
“She said: ‘I’m sorry but you can’t, your papers are not correct and you can’t board the plane’.”
Vincent said the ordeal left him “so angry”, adding: “I’m Audley Harrison’s father, I went to Buckingham Palace with him when he was collecting his MBE”.
Eventually he was let on to the plane, but he says officials warned him he’d be “sent back” when he landed at Heathrow.
And when Vincent did touch down in London, he said the border official did let him through - but with added friendly advice.
“He looked through my papers,” Vincent continued.
“And said: ‘Mr Harrison, I feel embarrassed to be talking to you like this, but as soon as I let you through, go and get yourself a British passport”.
Hear the call in full at the top of this page.
