Virgin airlines says it will no longer help to deport immigrants
Source: Guardian
Home Office informed of decision taken following LGBT campaigning and Windrush scandal
Amelia Gentleman
@ameliagentleman
Fri 29 Jun 2018 13.28 EDT First published on Fri 29 Jun 2018 13.07 EDT
Virgin airlines has said it will no longer assist the Home Office in deporting people classed as illegal immigrants, following pressure from LGBT campaigners and rising unease over the wrongful removal of Windrush people to Caribbean countries.
Virgin Atlantic said it had already informed the Home Office of its decision, which it said was taken “in the interest of all our customers and staff”. Migrant rights campaigners said the announcement reflected “a profound shift in public opinion on deportation since the emergence of the Windrush scandal”.
For years, Virgin airlines has provided seats on its commercial flights to detainees and security staff accompanying them. A charity in Jamaica that helps resettle deported people from the UK said detainees regularly arrived as passengers on Virgin flights. British Airways has also deported individuals to Jamaica.
The home secretary, Sajid Javid, admitted last month that at least 63 Windrush generation people had been wrongly removed to the Caribbean, despite having lived in the UK since before 1971, and consequently eligible for British citizenship.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/jun/29/virgin-airlines-no-longer-help-deport-immigrants-lgbt-windrush