NHS Nurse launches petition to stop husband of 19 years being deported to Jamaica

Pictured from L to R: Damian Thompson (L) with his daughter and his wife Linda Rose (far right)

A NHS Nurse has launched a petition to stop her husband of 19 years from being deported to Jamaica on Wednesday.

Linda Rose works for the NHS as the Head of Nursing. She decided to launch the petition as the last attempt to stop her husband’s deportation.

Damion Thompson is facing imminent removal after being detained while reporting to immigration services.

Speaking to The Voice, Ms Rose, who tragically lost her father in March after a long battle with Motor-Neurone Disease now fears she is going to lose her husband too. She said: “I’m still grieving for my dad from March and I feel like I am now grieving for my husband.

“My right to a family life and my right to have a marriage are being treated with contempt by the Home Office.”

Ms Rose revealed to The Voice, that Mr Thompson had helped her raise her daughter since she was 18 months old and she has been left devastated at the thought of losing her dad.

My right to a family life and my right to have a marriage are being treated with contempt by the Home Office

She said: “Our daughter is 21 now and he is the only father she has ever known and she is absolutely heart broken at the thought of losing him.”

The Head of Nursing urged the Home Office to reconsider his case.

She said: “He’s been to prison and served his sentence but it feels like we are all serving that sentence over and over again –the family are not being allowed to move on. Please just let us move on and get some sense of normality back into our family life, he isn’t a danger to anyone.”

Mr Thompson has lived in the UK since arriving in October 2000, when he was 21 years old.

Speaking to The Voice, from Colnbrook Immigration Removal Centre, he said he feels like taking his own life Damian said: “I take some blood pressure tablets and sometimes I feel just to take all of them. I feel devastated to leave my family. I know I committed a crime and I am sorry about that but I served my time and deserve a second chance. My wife, daughter and son in Birmingham mean everything to me and I feel really bad.”

Mr Thompson admits he committed a crime and fell in with the wrong crowd. In 2011, was jailed for two years for possession of a controlled class A drug and possession of criminal property – which was £2000 in cash. He served 14 months in prison and was released in September 2012 and has not committed any further offences.

Since his release, he has been playing football on a local team in Leeds which has helped his mental health and allowed him to cope with his continuous immigration issues.

He said: “I am not a trouble maker, since I have come out I have kept myself out of trouble, I help around the community and look after my family.” His wife has been trying to regularise his status since his release but has been unsuccessful.

The father from Leeds, told The Voice, he is being held on the Bravo Wing in Colnbrook near Heathrow Airport, with at least 12 other Jamaican nationals.

He said: “Some of the men in here have been in this country since they were seven years old. Eight of us have been given plane tickets for Wednesday and it is really hard and difficult on us in here and no one seems to care. I have not seen my caseworker since I was detained on 27th July. I don’t know nothing about a caseworker!”

He disclosed he doesn’t have any family in Jamaica and was given away as a child and raised by someone who now lives in London.

While speaking to The Voice, Mr Thompson was attending a church service in the detention centre and said his faith has been keeping him strong.

He said: “Every day I am reading my Bible and praying to find a way out of this, but it is really hard.”

He said the death of his father-in-law earlier this year had affected him deeply because he considers him his father.

“If he didn’t hear from me for a couple of days, he would call me to check I was ok. When he got sick, I supported my wife and him through it and he asked me to give him his last haircut. I cut his hair during the day and by the evening he passed away –he is who I consider my father. I don’t have any family in Jamaica to go back to, my wife and my children are my family.”

New developments

According to his lawyers, there are several new and significant developments in his circumstances but they do not have enough time to complete the relevant investigations before Wednesday. They are now appealing to the Home Office to defer his removal so they can carry out the several examinations.

In a statement released to The Voice, a spokesperson from Clarendon Park Chambers who are representing Mr Thompson, said:

“The Home Office last carried out any assessment on Mr Thompson’s case in October 2019 but since then, his circumstances have changed in relation to his article 8 ECHR claim and his asylum claim and his legal team are urgently seeking time for his case to be reassessed with all new evidence and change of circumstances. One of the changes has been with Mr Thompson’s 20-year-old son, who is believed to suffer from Autism. He has a GP appointment scheduled for the day after the flight leaves the UK and we require more time to gather evidence on this matter. Mr Thompson fears for his life if he were to return to Jamaica, due to a situation with a gang there. We have sent correspondence to the Home Office every day, and have now sent further submissions and Judicial Review Pre-Action Protocol, with no response or reply.”

According to his wife, he has become pillar of his community in Leeds and has been encouraging other young boys not to make the same mistakes he did.

She said: “Damion is known locally as Mr Fix It because he is willing to help anyone”.

Pictured: Damian Thomson (right) with his son

The last 18 months have been extremely challenging for the family and Ms Rose has also lost two colleagues to COVID-19. She said: “This has been a long process for us as a family and we have been put under so much mental stress and anxiety. The Home Office has refused to listen and they lack compassion. Some of the behaviour has been unprofessional.”

Ms Rose, claims in 2017, after Mr Thompson went to sign on for immigration bail and was released but the Home Office turned up to her house in a van which had the controversial ‘go home’ message on the side.

She said: “That was cruel, they let him sign on for immigration bail, released him and he went to play football. But they still got a warrant from a judge to come to our house and detain him in front of our neighbours.”

Ms Rose said she was left with no other choice but to start the petition and said she was shocked to see it reach over 5,000 signatures. She said: “I thought we would only get a couple hundred signatures but it keeps growing by the minute and people have been really wanting to get behind us as a family.”

Mr Thompson said he is also thankful to everyone who has been sharing and signing the petition and said “they make my light shine brighter.”

The petition is on Change.org and currently has 43,689 signatures.

To sign Ms Rose’s petition click here: https://www.change.org/p/uk-parliament-free-trimpy-aka-damion-t-from-threatened-deportation-on-the-11th-august-2021?redirect=false

The Home Office has been approached for comment and their spokesperson said:

“We make no apology for seeking to remove dangerous foreign criminals and those with no right to remain in the UK.

“Our new Nationality and Borders Bill will create an immigration system that is fair but firm, welcoming those in genuine need but cracking down on those who come to the UK illegally.”

Comments Form

20 Comments

  1. | Randy

    This is really cruel all the evidence is out there that Mr Thompson has change his life around but they àre turning a blind eye why is this what is this world coming to breaking up a family is very bad please consider this man and his family

    Reply

  2. | Fedrica Rose

    Damion accepts that he did wrong and has been punished by the Justice System.Hehas proved to himself and his Community that he has changed and has conformed to every restriction placed on him.When my husbands condition worsened and there was no support from NHS or Social Service it was Damion who supported/assisted me to care for him at home.This enabled my husband to die peacefully at home with his nearest and dearest at his bedside.PLEASE show some compassion for this unfortunate man.

    Reply

    • | Eileen Gill

      Sadly this can and does happen I pray you get some resolve…….I too am British indeed English. My husband a US military veteran who commited crime served his sentence and was deported in 2010 …..at that time we had known each other 24 years legally married eleven years. Despite going through all of the appeals he was deported. Deported to the USA where he was immediately homeless without family and remained living on the streets for four years. This UK is heartless and I remember when taking our vows it being said ..who God join let no man cast assunder…………..and with the Queen being the head of the church what might that say? My thoughts and prayers are with you.I do hope that you have a positive outcome xxx We are at the stage in applying for re-entry to the UK which is very costly too All good wishes and Positive energy.

      Reply

  3. | J E Probert

    My thoughts are with you at this time, I know that means very little when you’re whole family are being ripped apart.
    I have started to feel more and more repulsed by the actions of this country and those that believe they speak for us; and I am ashamed to be British. The actions of the Home Office, Boris Johnson and his “mouth piece” Profit Patel are more and more reminiscent of Hitler and his policies – and I would be only to delighted to deport the lot of them. All I can hope for is that the rest of the country comes to its senses and remove Boris and his corrupt cronies from power ….. Before we are regarded as the most uncaring country in the world; at a time when everybody should be pulling together.
    If there isn’t a good resolution then I for one will have no faith that there is justice ; and that the law is meaningless…….
    Stay strong …..

    Reply

  4. | Marsha

    I do believe that there are still some people in the system who still has a heart. Its not too late to delay this flight and get the investigations done. Without a doubt Damion has been fully rehabilitated. He needs his family and his family needs him.

    Reply

  5. | Rochelle O’Connor

    I’m disgusted that our country can show such systematic racism towards human beings. Absolutely vile treatment and whoever has made such a decision should be ashamed of themselves. I hope that your family is not ripped apart further in the middle of an already difficult time. Not that this decision would be okay in other circumstances. It’s not just this man that needs to be considered, but his whole family and their health, physical and mental, too. My thoughts are with you at this time and I hope that proceedings are stopped promptly so your husband can come home.

    Reply

  6. | Rochelle O’Connor

    I have contacted TUI who are denying they are operating this flight and saying the information here is lies. #BoycottTui

    If you would like to see the email Linda, my address is [email protected]

    Reply

    • | Paula Dyke

      The charter airline that took the deportees was Wamosair

      Reply

  7. | Desrene

    How can someone send a person somewhere he has no one in Jamaica how heartless can you people be you want to tell me that people don’t deserve a second chance he is a change man and he is sorry he is sorry for what he as done fine it in your heart to forgive him please

    Reply

    • | Mike Hook

      I too have written (an angry) mail to TUI and promptly received a reply denying involvement.

      Reply

  8. | Teresa Bates

    I have just emailed TUI and they replied straight away and said they are not operating a deportation flight to Jamaica. Hope things will work out for Damian

    Reply

    • | Paula Dyke

      We found out today that the charter airline was Wamosair

      Reply

    • | Paula Dyke

      Hi, the charter airline that took the deportees was Wamosair

      Reply

  9. | Elizabeth Ray

    I think it’s disgusting the way this man and his family are being treated . Once again it proves what a racist society we live in in the UK . Even if he has been in trouble in the past he’s turned his life around and should get another chance . I hope and pray he gets to stay . Sending my love and best wishes to his family in these awful times . 🙏 Elizabeth

    Reply

  10. | Darnell

    It’s a complete and utter disgrace. Mr Thompson has served his time and has been rehabilitated. Surely a basic human trait is one of compassion. This government should not be engaging in breaking up families. All we can do is pray and hope common decency prevails and is allowed to return to his family where he belongs.

    Reply

  11. | Kate Ward

    Thinking of you all Linda. I hope to god that Damian remains here and you can continue to fight this injustice and finally be able to move on as a family.

    Reply

  12. | Kattie

    This is a very lovely little family with a huge heart! The input that they are making as a family unit, to different sectors of the Leeds City community, is more than the average ‘UK citizen.’ Trimpy is Linda’s husband, her confidant, her solemate and a source of her strength. The Home Office’s blanket response of dangerous and illegal criminal sadly does not apply for this man. Trimpy and some of the other Jamaican men in holding have sadly fallen victim to the multi-million pound prisoner transfer deal quota hatched by the UK and Jamaican gov. to reduce the accommodation pressure on the UK prison system. Trimpy has served his sentence and lived at home with his family…

    Reply

  13. | Mike Hook

    Could not agree more with JE Probert.
    This ‘government’ seems ignorant of the notions of humanity and morality.

    Reply

  14. | helen brock

    Any person at all who has served a term in prison and come out committed to leading a better life deserves a second chance. The inhumane behaviour of the Home Office — under a woman with an Indian name! — makes me ashamed of this country. I am a Commonwealth immigrant, here since 1956, married since 1966 to an Englishman. Nobody has ever given me any trouble. But I am WHITE.

    Reply

  15. | David A Thompson

    This is another ridiculuous overreaction by the Home Office, which must be the most rigid, reactionary and incompetent Department of State ever. Everything they do leaves a trail of human pain behind them`.It probably does not help that they are presented with contradictory political demands and chronic lack of resources by a tax phobic government

    Reply

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