Zahir, whose name was changed, fled Iraq two months ago and arrived in the United Kingdom in March, before being told he would be deported under the government’s new immigration policy. He was detained at Colnbrook House Detention Center near Heathrow Airport while waiting to board the first flight to Rwanda – which was interrupted abruptly on Tuesday. Patel promises to continue Rwanda – Politics flights live Speaking to Sky editor Jason Farrell, he described how security officers, working for the private company Mitie, entered his reception room and grabbed him by the arms and legs. “There were four of them, two grabbed my hands, others my legs and one grabbed my head,” he said. As soon as he fell to the floor, Zahir explained that he had told the officers that he would come with them and that they would not need to use force. “They are beating us, kicking us and pushing us through the doors,” he added. Zahir said that they then put him in a van and told him that if he moved “a lot”, they would “tie” him. “When we got to the airport, I saw my friends. They had their legs tied – the four (security officers) had tied them,” he said. Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 3:52 Rwanda: Was the government’s plan explained? The 25-year-old had traveled 3,500 miles through Turkey and Europe after fleeing Iraq, mostly in the back of a truck organized by human traffickers. He finally arrived in Calais, where he spent nine days before crossing the English Channel to reach the United Kingdom. Less than a month later, he was informed by officials that he would be one of the first people to be placed on the deportation flight. The plane was expected to depart for Rwanda on Tuesday night, but stopped after the European Court of Human Rights issued orders to prevent the deportation of migrants just 40 minutes before take-off. “Do not say sorry, I’m very happy” Zahir never boarded the plane, as he was told his ticket was canceled after arriving at Boscombe Down in Amesbury, from where the flight was to depart. “They told me ‘sorry your ticket was canceled’, I said do not say sorry, I’m very happy”. Follow the Daily Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker Despite the fact that the flight did not take place, Interior Minister Priti Patel said that the government will continue to pursue its policy, which has been strongly criticized. The government says the program will prevent migrants from being exploited by traffickers who take them on the perilous trip to the Channel. Mitty said in a statement that “restraint is only being used as a last resort” to ensure the safety of travelers and staff. “This includes preventing injury or self-harm. Our focus is to treat the people we care for with dignity and respect and we are confident that our officers have acted professionally,” he added.
