Home Office attempted to deport man unfit to fly shackled in an ambulance (The London Economic) (26 February 2020)

The London Economic reports on the cruelty of the Home Office’s deportation policies as an attempt was made to deport a 56-year-old father of three despite medical concerns about his fitness to fly. Public law solicitor, Maria Petrova-Collins who represents the man due to be deported to Jamaica comments: “Experts from Medical Justice certified my client as unfit to fly and he was granted individual stay of removal by the High Court hours before the charter flight departed on that basis. The Home Office was ready to deport the client without any evidence that his medical condition and fitness to fly had been investigated…He sleeps with an oxygen mask and suffers from a long list of medical conditions, including but not limited to extremely high blood pressure, respiratory failure and chronic kidney disease. In fact, the Home Office has been fully aware of his medical condition from the outset…yet is still opposing the client’s bail application and placing his life at risk by maintaining the decision to detain him. Such conduct should be heavily criticised not only as being clearly unreasonable but also inhumane.”