Wednesday 18 May 2022 01:55 PM Deportation flight takes off for Jamaica with just SEVEN people on board trends now
Convicted child rapists, drug dealers and other violent criminals were among seven people on a deportation flight to Jamaica this morning - though 112 had originally been expected before lawyers intervened.
Home Office minister Tom Pursglove explained the individuals deported from Stansted to Jamaica this morning had a combined total of 58 convictions for 127 offences.
He said: 'The offences committed by the individuals on this flight include rape of a minor, sexual assault against children, firearms offences, dealing and importing controlled drugs and other violent crime, such as actual bodily harm.
'Between them they had a combined total of 58 convictions for 127 offences.
'However many more criminals could have left the UK today.
'What we have seen over the last 24 hours is more last-minute claims facilitated by specialist immigration law firms, as well as representations from MPs to stop this flight from leaving.'
He was asked by Conservative MP William Wragg to tell the House of Commons how many 'dangerous foreign national offenders' were due to deported this morning and how many actually left.
Mr Pursglove replied: 'I can confirm that the manifest originally had 112 individuals on it, in the end only seven left our country on that flight.'
Just seven out of a planned 112 people were deported to Jamaica this morning. The others had their deportations cancelled after legal actions were launched on their behalf
More than 10,000 foreign national offenders have been removed from the UK since the start of 2019
The others had their deportations cancelled after legal actions were launched on their behalf.
More than 10,000 foreign national offenders have been removed from the UK since the start of 2019, Mr Pursglove said.
Making a statement on foreign national offender removal flights, he told MPs: 'Despite the challenges of Covid we stepped up the removal of criminals who have no right to be here. Since January 2019, over 10,000 foreign national offenders have been removed from the UK.
'In the last month alone, flights have left to Albania, Romania, Poland and Lithuania and now also this morning to Jamaica and I expect that, that flight will land whilst I'm on my feet.'
