Marcus is a German citizen with pre-settled status in the UK, where he lives with his family: his partner, Holly Cullen-Davies, and his two stepchildren. Any non-citizen who has been sentenced to at least 12 months in prison is, unless they successfully appeal, automatically deported to their country of origin. According to the immigration charity Settled, this appears to be “the first time in the UK that the power of deportation has been used after a criminal conviction flowing from a protest.”Good. Living in the country isn't a right, it's a privilege. Abuse it, and get sent back where you came from.
Holly, a concert pianist and choir leader, cannot move to Germany: her children need to be close to their dad, and she’s committed to looking after her parents. I met them for the first time last week, and I’ve seldom come across such a devoted couple. But unless Marcus can successfully appeal, their right to family life will be cruelly snatched away.
Actions have consequences, George, boo hoo!
Holly told me: “It’s impossibly sad to face the possibility that we’ll be separated for life. It feels like an intolerable punishment for the whole family.”
This is just one example of the vindictiveness of a flailing political class seeking to snuff out democratic challenge.
He didn't decide to 'offer a democratic challenge' though, did he? He didn't stand for office, or organise a petition - he climbed an important piece of infrastructure and inconvenienced thousands, to try to force his own viewpoint on others. That's the very opposite of democratic,
Climate campaigners have recently been deprived of their right to explain their motives to a jury, so now they are tried as if they were mindless vandals. Those who have sought to explain nonetheless have been imprisoned for contempt of court. The 69-year-old Trudi Warner is being prosecuted at the government’s behest for holding a placard stating an accepted fact of British law: that juries have a right to act according to their conscience.
And it hasn't stopped her, because she was at the side entrance to Snaresbrook Crown Court when I arrived for jury service on Wednesday morning the week before last.
The home secretary could cancel Marcus’s deportation with one stroke. So far, 157,000 people have signed a petition urging him to do so. As injustice is piled upon injustice, a great cruelty is being done. We need our Robin Hoods.
Robin Hood (allegedly) robbed from the rich to give to the poor - he didn't stop the poor earning an honest living.
I agree it is about time to deport people but this government never does anything right. Rapists and people that cause harm don't get deported but someone who is protesting does. This isn't right.
ReplyDeleteBut, not all protesters either just Western ones. These people really are scum.
Plus removing trial by jury because the juries are made up of woke wusses. That isn't right either.
The time for a clean out methinks is long overdue.
"... this government never does anything right. Rapists and people that cause harm don't get deported but someone who is protesting does. This isn't right.
ReplyDeleteBut, not all protesters either just Western ones. These people really are scum."
They won't long be an issue, it looks like we are on course to vote in worse scum soon.