I am sharing the story of CB, an intelligent young man with hopes and dreams for the future, torn away from his partner and family and deported to Jamaica on Wednesday morning for a single driving offence at the age of 21 which he has regretted ever since and served his time for, a caring young man, close to his family who helps his little brothers with their homework & who had dreams of getting married and starting a family with his childhood sweetheart and starting his own business told to me by his partner TC.
CB was one of 29 people deported to Jamaica described by politicians as having committed serious crimes.
TC says
"Hello, I am CB's partner. CB and I have been together for nearly 7 years, we went to the same secondary school in Oxford and progressed into adult life together, we had plans to get married and start a family.
CB was convicted of dangerous driving in April 2017 & given a 14 month prison sentence, it was reduced to 7 months. Whilst he was in prison he made full use of the time to make changes to his lifestyle and he also carried out courses to get qualifications and worked the whole time he was in prison as a barber. After prison he was transferred to Campsfield House for a few weeks whilst lawyers fought for him to get bail, he returned home to his family in Oxford in December 2017. Ever since he has not been able to work whilst he has been fighting his immigration case.
When he first came out, he was placed onto a rehabilitation course (it was a thinking course) which he had to go to twice a week, in addition he had to sign on every other Friday at Eaton House in London. Given that he was not allowed to work it was costly travelling every week and it was hard for us to scrape the money together but he still continued with all that was required of him until 25th January when the home office detained him.
CB has always accepted that what he had done was wrong and deeply regretted it and has always complied with what was asked of him. He did his time in prison and was fully rehabilitated, he went on the rehabilitation courses but now his whole life as well as mine and his family's have been shattered and we all feel completely heartbroken.
Since coming home from prison he has been living at his family home in Oxford with his dad, step mum and three younger brothers, 17yrs , 12yrs and 6yrs old, his brothers all idolise and look up to him. They never even got to say goodbye to their older brother. He spent a lot of time with them taking them to school and helping them with their homework.
When he first came out, he was placed onto a rehabilitation course (it was a thinking course) of which he had to go twice a week, aswell as this he had to sign on every other Friday at Eaton House in London. He was expected to have to do this when not being able to work, all the traveling as you could imagine every week was costly and it was hard to scrape the money but he still continued with all that was required of him until 25th January when the Home Office detained him.
CB is a bright young man, very ambitious, he talked about his plans for the future and wanted to save up for a mortgage so we could buy a house. But has been restricted in what he is allowed to do as he does not have a right to work. He spent a lot of time thinking of future business plans, as he had managed to get his barbering qualification, he then planned to do more specific college courses in management and further qualifications that would benefit him in the future as he wanted to open up his own barber shop. He even did an ear piercing course to just add something extra to his skills for when he is able to start working.
Chevon takes antidepressants daily, it does worry me that he may not be able to receive the right support in Jamaica, aswell as him having no money and no real close family members to support him in the country. As you can imagine this 23 year old boy is scared and worried for his future.
CB called me at 3am on Wednesday morning and described what was happening as a horror. His own phone was taken at 10pm but he managed to borrow a phone.
He was worried and upset and called to say he loved me and doesn’t want to go. I was not able to have contact with him until 6am on Wednesday morning when he was sat on the plane, with something wrapped around his waist to stop him from moving away and was attached with handcuffs to two security guards. For him to have his mobile taken from him from 10pm Tuesday evening for that whole time is absolutely disgraceful, when he needed to speak to his love ones in his time of need he was restricted from this.
I’ve had limited contact with him since he has landed due to him not having any money to get a simcard topped up to call me and his family. Yesterday I spoke to him briefly and he said that he is feeling extremely paranoid and worried about how he is going to cope. I do hope they stop these charter flights."
As you can read from this account by CB's partner TC, he made one mistake while very young. TC drove a car with a provisional license with nobody accompanying him. Nobody was hurt or impacted. CB knows it was wrong, it was a silly thing to do but it was a mistake that he made as a young man of 21 and for which he served 7 months, has complied with everything asked of him and been fully rehabilitated and living his life responsibly and conscientiously and is now receiving a life sentence for, banished, ostracised, isolated and torn from loved ones and family.
He has depression and is feeling alone and afraid.
This is not the story of a hardened criminal guilty of serious crimes that Sajid Javid described in Parliament.
It is concerning that Sajid Javid knowingly misled the House of Commons this week when he described all on the plane as serious criminals.
It is an established fact that black / BAME people face harsher sentences & treatment by police and in the criminal justice system. There are countless cases of young white people making mistakes and far offered far more leniency and sympathy and allowed to live their lives rather than being sentenced for life.
Please share this to spread awareness that what we are being told about those deported is not true. Please write to your MP to raise concerns about how CB has been treated.
Regards
Zita