Wednesday 2 October 2013

Well, Really, Who Could Have Forseen This?

Except….everybody:
In July, more than 20 Roma were given tickets for flights and coaches to Romania after being rounded up in a raid by immigration officers and police on their encampment in Park Lane.
Tickets were supplied by the UK Border Agency and homelessness charity Thames Reach, also funded by taxpayers.
But now Westminster city council says it is aware that six of the group - almost a third - have come back.
I know, I know. I was astounded too!
Councillor Nickie Aiken (Ed: Oh, hai, Nickie!) told the Sunday Telegraph: “We need to get stricter at the border, particularly if these people have agreed to go home in the first place at taxpayers’ expense.”
Oh, if only that were possible...
The Home Office said it was unable to say whether the Roma it had funded to go home had since returned.
Unable..? Or just unwilling?

4 comments:

Joe Public said...

So Keith Vazquez was right for once:-

The UK Border Agency is "not fit for purpose"

Theresa May merely opined UK Border Agency 'not good enough'

My money's on the wily Roma to have sold the tickets we generously gave them.

John Pickworth said...

Well, Really, Who Could Have Forseen This?

It's come as a complete surprise to me!

Migrants paid £2,000 to go home... but can ask to come back in two years

Foreign murderers, rapists and other criminals are being offered cash bribes of up to £1,500 to return home after serving their sentences

The public are paying more than £1 million a month to “bribe” illegal immigrants and failed asylum seekers to go home

Anonymous said...

There is an Island that is owned by Her Majesty some 8,000 miles away in the South Atlantic. No, I am not thinking of the Falklands, I am thinking of South Georgia. Seriously, we should put it to good use, or let the Argie's have it.

JuliaM said...

"My money's on the wily Roma to have sold the tickets we generously gave them."

I'd like to have thought out UKBA would have at least verified they got on the plane!

Up to me, they'd have gone back as cargo...

"Seriously, we should put it to good use, or let the Argie's have it."

A bit hard on the penguins?