THE GOVERNMENT must end the deportation of foreign-born offenders who came to the UK as children, according to a draft report into the Windrush scandal.
The findings come in a draft of the Windrush Lessons Learned review, leaked to the Labour MP David Lammy and seen exclusively by Newsnight.
Sajid Javid commissioned the review in July 2018, while home secretary, to avoid any future repeat of the Windrush scandal.
The draft of the report, written in June last year, says: ‘Government should review its policy and approach to foreign national offenders (FNOs), if necessary through primary legislation. It should consider ending all deportation of FNOs where they arrived in the UK as children (say, before age of 13). Alternatively, deportation should only be considered in the most severe cases.’
Diane Abbott, the Labour shadow home secretary, told Newsnight she is calling on the government to publish the report.
‘This draft report is very embarrassing and shaming for the government.
‘Campaigners have said for years that it is unfair to deport people who came here as children and really don’t know any other country, and now this report confirms that.
‘We will be pressing the government to release this report as soon as possible.
‘You shouldn’t be deporting people who have never known another country.’
Carline Angus whose son is to be deported to Jamaica next week says: ‘My son came here when he was five, so why is he in this category (to be deported)? I think he should be given a chance.
‘If you don’t give him a chance to rehabilitate himself, how can he learn? He has already made his mistake, he apologised for it. All he needs is just a chance.’
However as far as the Tories are concerned, it is ‘business as usual’, with a new Windrush scandal coming to light.
Yet another plane load of people are due to be deported back to the Caribbean next Tuesday February 11 on a ‘forced deportation flight’.
On Thursday evening, over 200 people demonstrated outside Parliament against the mass deportation flight where up to 50 people may be forced onto the plane and deported to the Caribbean even if they have spent the majority of their life living in the UK.
Nadia Pecco, a victim of deportation, told the rally: ‘It is unjust what the Home Secretary is doing.
‘They don’t understand what it is doing to families; children who can’t sleep in their beds for worrying about their mums and dads.
‘People can’t afford to pay the Home Office fees for citizenship. It is a robbery that has to stop.
‘The government of Jamaica has to stop taking money from the British government for deportations. The charter flight must be stopped.’
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