Throughout my political profession, victims of crime have at all times been on the forefront of my work on justice issues. I’ve been a long-standing advocate of modifications to our legal guidelines to place victims first.
That was why, as Home Secretary, I took such a deep and private curiosity within the stunning case of Yaqub Ahmed and the gross injustice that was being endured by his sufferer.
Like all the nation, I used to be completely horrified to find that the UK’s courts and legal guidelines have been being abused by this appalling particular person.
I used to be disgusted to find out how, on the eleventh hour, his deportation was deserted when aircraft passengers, unaware of his crime and apparently feeling sorry for him, intervened and insisted he be escorted off the flight resulting from take him in a foreign country.
I used to be completely decided to satisfy Ahmed’s sufferer as a result of I wished to assist in giving her voice again and assist her in getting justice for the abhorrent crime she endured. My assembly with ‘Hannah’ in 2020 was deeply private and profoundly transferring.
Throughout my political profession, victims of crime have at all times been on the forefront of my work on justice issues. I’ve been a long-standing advocate of modifications to our legal guidelines to place victims first
That was why, as Home Secretary, I took such a deep and private curiosity within the stunning case of Yaqub Ahmed and the gross injustice that was being endured by his sufferer
It was clear to me that the immigration and asylum system was working towards the pursuits of a British citizen who was the sufferer of essentially the most horrendous crime.
Home Office officers typically thought it was uncommon after I wished to talk to victims of crime, however for me this was an important a part of my function.
During our dialog, Hannah brazenly spoke of the vile crime dedicated towards her, the shattering impression it had, and the way extremely troublesome she discovered it to rebuild her life. What struck me greater than something was her bravery and the extraordinary power of her resolve.
She was decided to see justice and wished to work with me to make sure this appalling particular person was faraway from our nation.
Among the various egregious components of this case, Ahmed had the audacity to attempt to use our trendy slavery legal guidelines to maintain himself on this nation. This was one among many insults to this poor girl and, fairly frankly, it was one of many many failings in our prison justice system that this might be allowed to occur. His case additionally included an outrageous try to bypass our legal guidelines through the use of a faux video to attempt to dupe the courts.
Like all the nation, I used to be completely horrified to find that the UK’s courts and legal guidelines have been being abused by this appalling particular person
I knew from day one among turning into Home Secretary that the infinite appeals and authorized merry-go-round in our immigration courts and tribunals was completely unacceptable. But the Ahmed case was a tipping level for me, significantly due to the fabricated video and concocted dying risk he used to attempt to keep within the UK.
It was due to this, and different stunning instances, that I introduced in new legal guidelines to usher in sweeping modifications to the immigration and asylum system.
Some of those modifications, nonetheless, have nonetheless not been carried out.
For instance, the Nationality and Borders Act, which our Conservative Government handed, regardless of relentless opposition from Labour. As a part of this Act, Ministers got the facility to take away individuals extra simply from the UK who haven’t any proper to be right here by a brand new ‘one-stop’ course of. This would require all asylum, human rights, safety or trendy slavery claims to be made up entrance to cease the absurd circus of authorized claims and appeals.
But these essential powers have nonetheless not been launched. I urge the Government to drag their fingers out and cease dithering.
I additionally wished to encourage the usage of so-called wasted value orders in immigration instances so legal professionals who promote spurious immigration instances must choose up the court docket prices.
Frustratingly, that provision – which might cease the extraordinary waste of public cash – didn’t make it into legislation as a result of civil servants on the Ministry of Justice have been towards it.
The British public is understandably fed up with the best way our immigration system is abused. We have to make sure that we take away overseas offenders from our nation swiftly and that they don’t maintain hiding behind authorized processes. Victims of appalling crimes like Hannah deserve nothing much less.
Government ought to cease its dithering