Virgin Atlantic says it will no longer help Home Office carry out involuntary deportations
Decision taken 'in best interests' of customers and staff, says airline
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Virgin Atlantic will no longer help the Home Office carry out involuntary deportations, the airline has said.
It added that the decision was taken “in the best interests” of customers and staff, and deportations would not take place on any of its lines.
The decision follows months of pressure on the government over the Windrush scandal, which saw people who arrived in Britain legally decades ago threatened with deportation because they lacked proof of their status.
The controversy cost former home secretary Amber Rudd her job in April.
Her successor, Sajid Javid, later promised to do the “right” thing with regards to the Windrush generation of Commonwealth citizens who had been caught up in the government’s so-called “hostile environment” immigration policy.
A Virgin Atlantic spokeswoman told The Independent: “We’ve made the decision to end all involuntary deportations on our network, and have already informed the Home Office. We believe this decision is in the best interest of our customers and people.”
A Home Office spokeswoman said: “We do not comment on operational matters.”
Mr Javid revealed last month that up to 63 people from the Windrush group may have been wrongly deported despite having lived in the UK legally for decades.
This week a damning parliamentary report found immigration officials used detention powers “unlawfully and inappropriately” in relation to members of the group.
MPs and peers on the joint committee on human rights said the treatment had been “shocking”, and dismissed the department’s claims the failings were down to individual errors.
A “fundamental change in the law, culture and procedures” was needed to ensure human rights were properly protected, their report found.
After the report’s publication, the Home Office said: “Our priority is to ensure that those who have struggled to demonstrate their right to be here are supported to do so and we have issued more than 2,000 documents confirming people’s settled status.
“But we know that it is equally important that we ensure that nothing like this can happen again. That is why we are carrying out historical reviews of detention and removals and have commissioned an independent lessons learned review.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments