PM under pressure to stop deportation of 50 criminals to Jamaica

Boris Johnson is under pressure to stop the deportation of 50 criminals until the publication of a Windrush review.

Labour MP Nadia Whittome called for a charter flight to Jamaica, believed to be leaving next Tuesday, to be suspended until a government report on the lessons learned from the Windrush scandal is published.

Shadow equalities minister Dawn Butler disputed the Home Office's claim that all those due to be deported are foreign nationals who have committed serious crimes.

Ms Whittome told Prime Minister's Questions: "It's been two years since the Windrush scandal exposed the wrongful detention and deportation of Commonwealth citizens.

"While we wait for the publication of the lessons learned review the government plans to deport 50 people, 50 people to Jamaica by charter flight next week.

"Will the prime minister immediately suspend the flight until the lessons learned review is published and the recommendations implemented?"

The Windrush review was commissioned in 2018 but it is not clear when it will be published.

It is looking into what needs to change following the scandal in which it was revealed thousands of people from Caribbean countries who arrived in the UK between 1948 and 1971 were told they could not remain in the UK or receive NHS treatment.

The Home Office said all those being removed "in the next few weeks" are foreign criminals convicted of serious crimes including manslaughter, rape, violent crime and dealing class A drugs.

Reacting to Ms Whittome's request, Mr Johnson said: "The people of this country will think it right to send back foreign national offenders."

Ms Butler, who said "this seems not to be true", told the House of Commons a constituent of hers has a husband due to be deported "in six days" who she claims is not a serious offender.

She said: "He was convicted under the now unlawful joint enterprise rule, he was released after just two months and his wife feels like this stress is going to kill her husband because he has a heart problem.

"Mr Speaker, how can I get the home secretary to take this seriously and be truthful about the people who are on the deportation flight and if we can halt this flight until we establish the true facts of the situation?"

In 2016, the Supreme Court ruled the joint enterprise law - where a suspect was convicted if they "could" have foreseen violent acts by associates - had been misinterpreted for 30 years.

The Home Office maintains everybody being deported is a serious criminal and under the UK Borders Act 2007, foreign nationals convicted of an offence who receive a custodial sentence of 12 months or more must be deported.

Last year, 29 convicted criminals were deported to Jamaica on the first deportation flight since the Windrush scandal.

A spokesman said it only deports those with "no legal right to remain in the UK" and does so when the Home Office and, if applicable, courts deem it safe to do so.

He added: "The planned charter flight to Jamaica is specifically for removing foreign criminals.

"Those detained for removal include people convicted of manslaughter, rape, violent crime and dealing class A drugs."