Question
Ministers tell us that small boat arrivals are vetted, so we need not worry, but Mohammed Yaseen—who, as we all know, joined al-Qaeda at 16, was convicted as a Daesh terrorist in Germany, and, a British court was told, was a danger to the British people—was put by the Home Office not in a detention centre ready to be deported to Iraq, where the Iraqi people deserve to see him face trial and justice, but instead in a hostel in Windsor. He was free to roam British streets during daylight hours, along with too many of the 95% not yet deported. He is now back in prison, thanks to the newspapers. How can we have any confidence in the Government, when they allow a convicted Daesh member to be released on to our streets while his deportation is pending, and will the Home Secretary today give the commitment that he will be held in detention until he is on a plane, and that his ticket has been ordered?
Answer
The hon. Lady knows that given that there are outstanding issues to be considered in this case, I cannot comment on the facts. She should know that, as a principle, anyone who receives a sentence of 12 months or more and is a danger to our community will have their asylum claim rejected.
Verdict: RED (8/100)
The reply only partly addresses the question. It declines to comment on the facts because of outstanding issues and points to asylum-claim policy, but it does not explain why the person is being released into the community while awaiting deportation. It does not say whether the Home Secretary will commit to detention until removal, and it neither confirms nor denies that a flight ticket has been ordered. Because the reply is hedged throughout and leaves the main points unanswered, the person who asked would likely need to submit a follow-up for specific information.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Why the Government allows a person convicted of terrorism offences to be released into the community while their deportation is pending | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply declines to comment on the facts because of outstanding issues, which gives a reason but not an explanation of why release into the community is permitted. The asylum-claim principle for offenders sentenced to 12 months or more concerns refusal of asylum, not release pending deportation, so it only touches the policy around the question. |
| Will the Home Secretary commit to holding this individual in detention until he is removed on a flight | Not Addressed | Generic | Nothing in the reply says whether the Home Secretary will commit to detention until removal; the asylum-claim principle does not address detention at all. |
| Will the Home Secretary confirm that a flight ticket for this individual's removal has been ordered | Not Addressed | Generic | The reply neither confirms nor denies that a flight ticket has been ordered, and does not mention removal arrangements. |