Should we deport offenders brought to the UK as children? - BBC Newsnight

Newsnight has seen a draft of the Windrush report which says the government should consider ending deportations of foreign national offenders brought to the UK as children. Subscribe to our channel here: https://goo.gl/31Q53F

A plane destined for Kingston, Jamaica is scheduled to deport a group of foreign nationals who committed offences in the UK.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said “the people of this country will think it right to send back foreign national offenders.”

But a draft report into the Windrush scandal, commissed by Sajid Javid when he was home secretary, says the government should consider ending the deportation of foreign born offenders who came to the UK as children.

The findings come in a draft of the Windrush Lessons Learned Review leaked to the Labour MP David Lammy and seen exclusively by Newsnight.

The mother of an offender due to be deported to Jamaica next week says her son would be allowed to stay if the recommendations in the draft Windrush report were implemented. Carline Angus says her son Tajay Thompson was convicted as a teenager for possessing class A drugs with intent to supply.

She 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?”

The Home Office told Newsnight it does not comment on leaks. A spokesperson said: “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.”

Nick Watt reports, and Mark is joined by Labour MP David Lammy, Windrush Campaigner Glenda Ceasar, and former UKIP MEP Stephen Woolfe, who founded the Centre for Migration and Economic Prosperity.

Newsnight is the BBC's flagship news and current affairs TV programme - with analysis, debate, exclusives, and robust interviews.

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