Jamaican man, the dad of four, being deported for something he did 10 years ago
A dad of four who first arrived in the UK aged 10 is fighting back against his deportation flight to Jamaica which is scheduled to leave in hours.
Akeem Finlay, from Brixton, has been detained at Colnbrook Immigration Removal Centre near Heathrow Airport for more than two weeks.
The 31-year-old is one of 19 Jamaican nationals who will be deported at around 1 am on Wednesday (August 11).
Akeem told reporters he fears for his life if he is deported.
Akeem first arrived in the UK aged 10 after he was the victim of a gang attack in Jamaica aged 9. He was then looked after as a 'dependent minor' by his grandparents, who arrived in the UK during Windrush.
Akeem said: " I’ve spent two decades in this country; all I know is this country. I don’t know anything else; I came here as a little child.
"All my family are here; for me to go back, I’m just going to be living on the streets. My life will be in danger."
He is being deported on the grounds of being a risk to the public following a 2014 conviction for grievous bodily harm with intent where he was sentenced to prison for six years.
After he was released in 2016, Akeem passed his probation and is at low risk of reoffending again, he says. Unable to work due to his conviction, Akeem looks after his children while his partner works and is a voluntary football coach for children aged eight and under.
Akeem says since leaving prison, he hasn't reoffended again and 'has stayed out of trouble'.
This is the fifth attempt to deport Akeem; he tells reporters. According to Akeem, the first was in 2016 while he was still in prison.
Akeem has described his experience in Colnbrook as 'like a prison, and he says he has struggled with his mental health.
At previous detention centres, Akeem was able to see his family for up to four hours - but at Colnbrook, Akeem has only seen his partner and one of his four kids twice - which lasted an hour each on both occasions.
Akeem last saw his partner and daughter on Saturday (August 7) but fears he won't be able to see his loved ones again before he is deported on Wednesday.
He said: "I feel like I’m back in prison again. I'm being treated like a prisoner, but I’m not a prisoner - I’ve rehabilitated back into the community, but I feel broken at the moment.
"I’m being deprived of my kids; I can’t see them. My family brings joy to my life, and they’re taking me away from them, so let me see them before I go."
Akeem said: "It’s so sad; this is tearing me apart. I’m being ripped away from my family for something I did 10 years ago. Now I’m grown, I’ve tried to change my life around, but I’m still being punished for it.
"I feel like I’m double punished for something I did 10 years ago. It happened 10 years ago; since then, I haven't committed another offence."
Movement for Justice (Mfg), a civil rights and immigration rights movement, has criticized the Home Office's handling of the #Jamaica50 charter flight and says Akeem is one of five Jamaican nationals who first arrived in the UK a child.
Mfg National Organiser, Karen Doyle, said: "The Jamaica chartered flight is unique because of the Windrush scandal. The government thought the only way this could work was if they made sure everyone had criminal offences.
"A number of the people have been out for five, six, or seven years and have not reoffended. Several people were groomed into criminal activity in childhood. Several people who grew up in care and social services should have had the responsibility to make them British citizens.
"The government like to put out the headline ‘crimes’ but the truth is way more complex, these are all people from working-class families, a lot of them have partners who are key workers, cleaners, carers or nurses."
0 Comment