Migrants claiming to be slaves are making a mockery of British laws - UK Home Secretary alleges

Britains Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has sharply criticised migrants for allegedly exploiting the Modern Slavery Act, as the UKs flagship deportation deal with France descended into chaos. A third deportation flight from Heathrow to Paris left with no migrants on board after last-minute slavery claims stalled removals. The delays came despite government assurances that a High Court ruling temporarily blocking the deportation of a 25-year-old Eritrean man would not affect other flights under the one-in, one-out agreement with France. Mahmood condemned the situation, saying migrants making sudden slavery claims make a mockery of our laws and this countrys generosity. She added that last-minute attempts to frustrate a removal are intolerable and vowed to fight such claims at every stage in court, insisting she would robustly defend the British publics priorities and do whatever it takes to secure our border. Officials said the Modern Slavery Act, designed to protect genuine trafficking victims, is being abused by some migrants as a last-minute tactic to delay deportation. Claims lodged at the eleventh hour automatically trigger pauses in removal flights while courts investigate. Tuesdays flight was cancelled after a High Court judge gave the Eritrean man 14 days to submit evidence supporting his claim of being trafficked. The case turned chaotic when Home Office lawyers abruptly changed their legal position mid-hearing. Initially, barrister Kate Grange KC had argued the migrant could file evidence after deportation, but she reversed her stance following an email from the National Referral Mechanism, the Home Office body responsible for handling slavery claims. The disruption means that no migrants have yet been deported under the France deal. Government sources confirmed that the first arrivals from across the Channel are still scheduled to land in Britain on Saturday, September 20, under the reciprocal part of the agreement. Home Office officials remain confident that, despite the setbacks, the first removals will take place this week, while ministers continue to call for reforms to prevent abuse of the Modern Slavery Act.The post Migrants claiming to be slaves are making a mockery of British laws - UK Home Secretary alleges appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.