Letter-to-PM-Nadia-Whittome

Office of Nadia Whittome MP Member of Parliament for Nottingham East House of Commons London SW1A 0AA 9 th February 2020 Dear Prime Minister, We, the undersigned, write to you as a group of cross-party parliamentarians to express our grave concern over Home Office plans to deport 50 people to Jamaica by charter flight on 11th February 2020. Two years ago the Windrush crisis shook the country. In a violation of human rights, the government was found to have been detaining and deporting British citizens and those who had the right to live in the UK for decades. At the height of the Windrush scandal, the government suspended charter flights as they could not guarantee that no wrongful deportations would take place. Not only is there an unacceptable risk of removing anyone with a potential Windrush claim, but there has been a failure by the government to remedy the causes of the Windrush scandal. It is, therefore, crucial that all further deportations are cancelled until the long￾awaited Lessons Learned Review is published, and its recommendations implemented. We understand through a leaked version of the review that it recommends revising policy towards FNOs, ending deportation for those who arrived as children, and only considering deportation in "the most severe cases". Given that the Guardian has reported that the Review is at Maxwellisation stage, which means that the government has it and are now editing it, it seems only reasonable that any further deportations should be stopped until these important recommendations are published and implemented. We would be grateful if you would, as a matter of urgency, provide answers to the following questions: Can the government guarantee the safety of those individuals planned for deportation? Does the government plan to collect data regarding the safety of those who are to be removed? Have each of the individuals expected to board the charter flight to Jamaica on 11th February had access to legal advice and representation? How many of the individuals expected to board the charter flight to Jamaica on 11th February have exhausted all avenues of appeal and due process? Office of Nadia Whittome MP Member of Parliament for Nottingham East House of Commons London SW1A 0AA How many of the individuals expected to board the charter flight to Jamaica on 11th February have access to a mobile phone? How many of the individuals on this flight have been resident in the UK since they were children? What legal advice the government sought on this proposed action and will you publish this legal advice? At what stage is the Lessons Learned Report and when will it be published? We urge you to take the following actions recommended by the Joint Council for the Welfare of Migrants (JCWI) without delay: 1. The flight and all future charter flights must be suspended until the Windrush Lessons Learned Review has been published and its recommendations implemented. 2. The Home Office must immediately provide SIM cards for alternative providers in order to ensure that no one will be removed from the UK without being afforded effective access to legal advice and assistance. 3. The Home Office must introduce legislation to implement Sir Stephen Shaw's recommendation that long-term British residents who have been in the UK since childhood should not be subject to the automatic deportation provisions of the UK Borders Act 2007. We look forward to your timely response. Yours sincerely, Nadia Whittome MP Diane Abbott MP Janet Daby MP David Lammy MP Dawn Butler MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP Jeremy Corbyn MP John McDonnell MP Rt Hon Emily Thornberry MP Baroness Shami Chakrabarti Lord Hendy QC Alex Sobel MP Naz Shah MP Rushanara Ali MP Stella Creasy MP Mohammad Yasin MP Marsha de Cordova MP Apsana Begum MP Virendra Sharma MP Alex Davies-Jones MP Alex Norris MP Afzal Khan MP Clive Lewis MP Preet Gill MP Yasmin Qureshi MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle MP Abena Oppong-Asare MP Dan Carden MP Claudia Webbe MP Khalid Mahmood MP Florence Eshalomi MP Kate Osborne MP Sam Tarry MP Rachel Hopkins MP Emma Lewell-Buck MP Rosie Duffield MP Rosena Allin-Khan MP Olivia Blake MP Seema Malhotra MP Bambos Charalambous MP Paula Barker MP Ian Mearns MP Mary Foy MP Ian Byrne MP Kate Green MP Kate Osamor MP Rupa Huq MP Mick Whitley MP Chi Onwurah MP Imran Hussain MP Zarah Sultana MP Beth Winter MP Caroline Lucas MP Sarah Owen MP Office of Nadia Whittome MP Member of Parliament for Nottingham East House of Commons London SW1A 0AA Shabana Mahmood MP Emma Hardy MP Liz Saville Roberts MP Tahir Ali MP Tulip Siddiq MP Helen Hayes MP Layla Moran MP Navendu Mishra MP Daisy Cooper MP Taiwo Owatemi MP Sarah Olney MP Ed Davey MP Alistair Carmichael MP Mark Hendrick MP Anna McMorrin MP Alison McGovern MP Barbara Keeley MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi MP Wes Streeting MP Feryal Clarke MP Munira Wilson MP Anneliese Dodds MP Ruth Jones MP Gareth Thomas MP Jon Ashworth MP Ian Lavery MP Richard Burgon MP Jo Stevens MP Barry Gardiner MP Mike Hill MP Gill Furniss MP Justin Madders MP Clive Efford MP Karl Turner MP Harriet Harman MP Julie Elliott MP Lyn Brown MP Jeff Smith MP Louise Haigh MP Sharon Hodgson MP Ruth Cadbury MP Kim Johnson MP Stephen Timms MP Andy McDonald MP Catherine West MP Karen Buck MP Sarah Jones MP James Murray MP Kate Hollern MP Vicky Foxcroft MP Dame Diana Johnson MP Tracy Brabin MP Debbie Abrahams MP Lord Jim Knight Baroness Janet Royall Baroness Mary Goudie Baroness Doreen Massey Wendy Chamberlain MP Baroness Ruth Lister Lisa Nandy MP Rt Hon Baroness Joyce Quin Baroness Pauline Bryan Jon Trickett MP Rt Hon Baroness Ann Taylor Geraint Davies MP Baroness Debbie Wilcox Tony Lloyd MP Baroness Kay Andrews Lord Steve Bassam Baroness Rita Donaghy Baroness Glenys Thornton Lord Paul Boateng Lord Chris Lennie Lord Philip Hunt Lord Jon Mendelsohn Baroness Helen Liddell Lord Richard Faulkner Lord Toby Harris Baroness Meta Ramsay Rebecca Long-Bailey MP Karin Smith MP Baroness Natalie Bennett Baroness Jenny Jones Steve McCabe MP Baroness Angela Smith Thangam Debbonaire MP Lord Willy Bach Lord Peter Snape Stephen Doughty MP David Linden MP Caroyln Harris MP Nick Thomas-Symonds MP Chris Elmore MP Baroness Valerie Amos Lord Clive Soley Jack Dromey MP Valerie Vaz MP Cat Smith MP Andy Slaughter MP Stuart McDonald MP Lord Stewart Wood Mary Glindon MP Sir Keir Starmer MP Stephen Farry MP Rachael Maskell MP Christopher Stephens MP Lord Keith Bradley Baroness Sue Nye Lord Des Browne Grahame Morris MP Kenny MacAskill MP Joanna Cherry MP Carol Monaghan MP Kirsten Oswald MP Brendan O’Hara MP Amy Callaghan MP John Nicolson MP Stephen Flynn MP Gavin Newlands MP Drew Hendry MP Deidre Brock MP Dave Doogan MP Mhairi Black MP Martin Docherty-Hughes MP