Darrell and Darren Roberts who were born in London and have never left the country,  face deportation to different countries in the Caribbean despite having no relatives, friends or connections there. 

The Home office plans to send one to Dominican Republic ( their father who they have had no contact with for decades is from Dominica a completely different island to DR)  and the other to Grenada where their deceased mother was born.

Neither parent had British Citizenship and Ealing Social Services failed to arrange their citizenship when they were children, an action which now means they are both facing deportation despite having their own families here in the UK.

The deportation notice states: “Our records show you have no legal status in the United Kingdom.” The home secretary has deemed “deportation to be conducive to the public good and accordingly it is in the public interest that you be removed from the United Kingdom without delay”.

After an unhappy and disrupted time during their teenage years when the brothers were moved between a series of unsuccessful foster placements, Darrell was convicted of grievous bodily harm. He was a minor and still being looked after by the care system. His lawyer describes him as vulnerable because of his young age on conviction and his traumatic childhood. Towards the end his six-year-sentence he has been served with a deportation notice. 

Darrell Roberts was also offered a grant to allow him to “return home” under the facilitated return scheme, with a reintegration package worth £1,500 if he agrees to repatriation. “I told them I was born here that I’d been in primary school and secondary school here. They weren’t sympathetic. When I’ve tried talking to officers they say it is out of their control,” he said.

The Home Office automatically issues a deportation notice to anyone without citizenship who has been convicted of a reasonably serious offence with a custodial sentence of more than 12 months. British citizenship has a good character requirement, which will not be met if an applicant has been sentenced to a long prison term, even if they were UK-born.

Please sign this petition to allow the twins to remain in the UK and be with their families ��