The forced reprieve is due ‘Stop the Plane’ protesters, who lock themselves to pipes outside detention centre near Gatwick airport

The UK Guardian is today reporting that most of the Jamaicans, due to be deported today (November 10) have got a reprieve, as their names have been removed from the deportation flight list.

This has come about as anti-deportation activists blocked the road in front of a detention centre to try to prevent them from being put on the plane. The activists, calling themselves ‘Stop the Plane’, have locked themselves to metal pipes outside Brook House immigration removal centre near Gatwick airport.

Originally, more than 50 Jamaican nationals were due to fly, but the Guardian said most were no longer on the passenger list. The flight was due to depart at 1:00 am this morning with only two or three passengers onboard.

Flight departed with only three Jamaican deportees

Messages online from anti-deportation groups said the flight departed Birmingham airport with just three deportees on board a plane able to seat 350 people. Home Office deportation flights to Jamaica are controversial because of the Windrush scandal.

Although the Home Office said nobody from the Windrush generation had been on the list, some have Windrush connections. The Home Office has encountered various problems with the flight.

The COVID outbreak at Colnbrook, an immigration removal centre near Heathrow, has led to some detainees being told their removal flight has been deferred. In addition, some of those due to fly this morning have been identified as potential victims of trafficking as a result of county lines drug dealing, which requires further investigation.

Concern has been raised at the highest level by Jamaican High Commissioner Seth Ramocan, about people who have been in the UK since childhood. A survey of 17 people originally expected to fly today by the organisation Movement For Justice, identified at least 10 who have been in the UK since they were children.

They include one man who came to Britain at the age of nine and was raised by his aunt, who was from the Windrush generation. At least 24 British children have been at risk of losing their fathers.

READ: Holness urged to block deportation flight from UK