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There were distressing reports yesterday that chartered deportation flights to Jamaica are being resumed, with one scheduled for 2 Dec. Aspects of these removals have been deemed unlawful by the Court of Appeal. [1/13] https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/home-office-policy-72-hours-deportation-removal-unlawful-b1202604.html https://twitter.com/_hollystow/status/1329359256936701952
It is unclear whether deportations are being carried out lawfully at present, but we're not bursting with confidence that they are, to put it mildly, given the revelations of the past few days. [2/13] https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/nov/18/black-official-quit-allegedly-racist-windrush-compensation-scheme?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
What *is* clear is that we now have parallel seams of human rights abuses being perpetrated simultaneously against Black and brown people, largely of limited economic means - the #WindrushScandal, which relates to deprivation of UK residency/citizenship and documentation; [4/13]
and the #WindrushCompensationScandal, wherein citizens, having endured the torment of fighting for and getting citizenship/residency docs, are slapped with derisive compensation offers that put them in their place. We know this now because of Ms Ankrah's brave account. [5/13]
While we have always suspected the Windrush Compensation Scandal is predicated on institutional racism, Ms Ankrah's account of @ukhomeoffice caseworkers arguing Black and brown people systematically disenfranchised by the government "should be happy with whatever they get" [6/13]
conclusively gives the lie to @ukhomeoffice's cut-and-paste statements that it is "carefully considering individual cases", and "righting the wrongs" with a "compassionate" (h/t @pritipatel) approach. So - what now?
First, please sign the petition above. [7/13]
First, please sign the petition above. [7/13]
Second, we must clamour for independent oversight of all aspects of @ukhomeoffice's conduct on the Windrush Scandal, migrants and refugees more broadly - i.e. continuing mass deportation attempts, casting nets in the sea, demonising lawyers challenging these abominations. [8/13]
Third, and this really shouldn't even be debatable any longer, we must fight for the Windrush Compensation Scheme to be prised from the racist, miserly claws of @ukhomeoffice and handed to an independent external body. It is baffling that it was ever put in charge of this. [9/13]
For it to remain in charge of this after everything we've seen over the past few days (with thanks to the outstanding reportage of @ameliagentleman) is frankly a massive middle finger to the entire nation. [10/13]
It is encouraging to see Labour MPs such as @BellRibeiroAddy, @NickTorfaen and more pick up on the Windrush Compensation Scandal, and @CommonsHomeAffs led by @YvetteCooperMP open an inquiry into it. But people are dying, and we need to go faster and further. [11/13]
The Windrush Compensation Scheme has to be taken away from @ukhomeoffice now. The conduct of officials administering this shitshow should also be evaluated in light of Ms Ankrah's comments - if you were this bad at your job anywhere else, you'd be fired, [12/13]
and that's before we consider that at least a few officials (which is to say civil servants) have been openly racist in carrying out their taxpayer-funded duties. There must be repercussions. The time for policy reviews and improvement plans is over. [13/13]
