9Th February 2020 Dear Prime Minister, We, the Undersigned, Write
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Office of Nadia Whittome MP Member of Parliament for Nottingham East House of Commons London SW1A 0AA 9th 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 Virendra Sharma MP Rosena Allin-Khan MP Diane Abbott MP Alex Davies-Jones MP Olivia Blake MP Janet Daby MP Alex Norris MP Seema Malhotra MP David Lammy MP Afzal Khan MP Bambos Charalambous MP Dawn Butler MP Clive Lewis MP Paula Barker MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP Preet Gill MP Ian Mearns MP Jeremy Corbyn MP Yasmin Qureshi MP Mary Foy MP John McDonnell MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle MP Ian Byrne MP Rt Hon Emily Thornberry MP Abena Oppong-Asare MP Kate Green MP Baroness Shami Chakrabarti Dan Carden MP Kate Osamor MP Lord Hendy QC Claudia Webbe MP Rupa Huq MP Alex Sobel MP Khalid Mahmood MP Mick Whitley MP Naz Shah MP Florence Eshalomi MP Chi Onwurah MP Rushanara Ali MP Kate Osborne MP Imran Hussain MP Stella Creasy MP Sam Tarry MP Zarah Sultana MP Mohammad Yasin MP Rachel Hopkins MP Beth Winter MP Marsha de Cordova MP Emma Lewell-Buck MP Caroline Lucas MP Apsana Begum MP Rosie Duffield MP Sarah Owen MP Office of Nadia Whittome MP Member of Parliament for Nottingham East House of Commons London SW1A 0AA Shabana Mahmood MP James Murray MP Nick Thomas-Symonds MP Emma Hardy MP Kate Hollern MP Chris Elmore MP Liz Saville Roberts MP Vicky Foxcroft MP Baroness Valerie Amos Tahir Ali MP Dame Diana Johnson MP Lord Clive Soley Tulip Siddiq MP Tracy Brabin MP Jack Dromey MP Helen Hayes MP Debbie Abrahams MP Valerie Vaz MP Layla Moran MP Lord Jim Knight Cat Smith MP Navendu Mishra MP Baroness Janet Royall Daisy Cooper MP Baroness Mary Goudie Andy Slaughter MP Taiwo Owatemi MP Baroness Doreen Massey Stuart McDonald MP Sarah Olney MP Wendy Chamberlain MP Lord Stewart Wood Ed Davey MP Baroness Ruth Lister Mary Glindon MP Alistair Carmichael MP Lisa Nandy MP Sir Keir Starmer MP Mark Hendrick MP Rt Hon Baroness Joyce Quin Stephen Farry MP Anna McMorrin MP Baroness Pauline Bryan Rachael Maskell MP Alison McGovern MP Jon Trickett MP Christopher Stephens MP Barbara Keeley MP Rt Hon Baroness Ann Taylor Lord Keith Bradley Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi MP Geraint Davies MP Baroness Sue Nye Wes Streeting MP Baroness Debbie Wilcox Lord Des Browne Feryal Clarke MP Grahame Morris MP Munira Wilson MP Tony Lloyd MP Anneliese Dodds MP Baroness Kay Andrews Kenny MacAskill MP Ruth Jones MP Lord Steve Bassam Joanna Cherry MP Gareth Thomas MP Baroness Rita Donaghy Carol Monaghan MP Jon Ashworth MP Baroness Glenys Thornton Kirsten Oswald MP Ian Lavery MP Lord Paul Boateng Brendan O’Hara MP Richard Burgon MP Lord Chris Lennie Amy Callaghan MP Jo Stevens MP Lord Philip Hunt John Nicolson MP Barry Gardiner MP Lord Jon Mendelsohn Stephen Flynn MP Mike Hill MP Baroness Helen Liddell Gavin Newlands MP Gill Furniss MP Lord Richard Faulkner Drew Hendry MP Justin Madders MP Lord Toby Harris Deidre Brock MP Clive Efford MP Dave Doogan MP Karl Turner MP Baroness Meta Ramsay Mhairi Black MP Harriet Harman MP Rebecca Long-Bailey MP Martin Docherty-Hughes MP Julie Elliott MP Karin Smith MP Lyn Brown MP Baroness Natalie Bennett Jeff Smith MP Baroness Jenny Jones Louise Haigh MP Steve McCabe MP Sharon Hodgson MP Baroness Angela Smith Ruth Cadbury MP Thangam Debbonaire MP Kim Johnson MP Lord Willy Bach Stephen Timms MP Lord Peter Snape Andy McDonald MP Stephen Doughty MP Catherine West MP David Linden MP Karen Buck MP Caroyln Harris MP Sarah Jones MP .