Stop S's Deportation!
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Stop The Flight Deporting Our Friend S!
British Airways is complicit in the violent deportation of our friend, S.
Help us hold them accountable and stop S's deportation. British Airways and the Pilot have the right to refuse to fly the flight.
You can help us by calling and emailing British Airways and ask them to refuse to fly our friend. Here are the actions below to take:
- Phone Call
- Share on social media
1. Phone call - call British Airways on 0203983 4633 and 03444930787 (calls should still go through even though its an international number)
"Our friend S who is scheduled to be deported in flight BA2816 to Algiers. S hasn't been to Algeria since 1997 and fears for their safety. They are on this flight against their will"
There are two ways of navigating a call, you can either go in straight with this message:
“Our friend S is being deported against their will on 31/10/2023 at 7:35am to Algiers, Algeria. This is unsafe and inhumane and I am worried about his safety. Our friend is at risk of being hurt and persecuted if he is deported. He is still seeking asylum in this country and is very vulnerable with mental health issues. This is wrong and should not be happening and the pilot does not have to fly him on this plane, it is within the airline and pilot’s rights to refuse to fly him on this plane.”
OR
You can insist on speaking to senior people (e.g. chief pilot, flight supervisor, anyone with power to stop the flight) out of concern for welfare of the passenger(s) on the flight and not disclose it is regarding a deportation until necessary.
Things staff might say and how you can respond:
1. “This is a matter for the home office” - Emphasize that the person is seeking asylum and that deportation against a persons will is violent, abusive and oppressive.
2. “There’s nothing we can do” - Emphasize that the person you are talking to has the power to change the situation and does not have to be complicit in the harm of the home office
3. “We are obliged by policy/law/the government/another higher authority to carry deportees.”
Airlines can refuse to fly any passenger if, for example, they believe they may be dangerous or disruptive – as someone in distress might well be. On the airplane, legally, under the Montreal and Tokyo Conventions, the pilot has the ultimate say.
And management is unlikely to thank staff for neglecting to act on concerns raised before the deportation, if something then goes badly wrong for a passenger or crew member. It is also against international law to return someone to a place where they might suffer inhuman or degrading treatment or cruelty.
Please take action NOW!
2. Email script
feel free to copy and paste the template below, and go to this link: https://www.britishairways.com/travel/askbainter/public/en_gb (Go to ‘Email Us’ - copy template in relevant field) - However, the more personalised the email, the better!
Dear British Airways and Shareholders,
Our friend, S, is being deported against his will on 31/10/2023 at 7:35am to Algiers, Algeria. This is unsafe and inhumane and I am worried about his safety. Our friend is at risk of being hurt and persecuted if he is deported.
This is wrong and should not be happening and the pilot does not have to fly him, it is within the airline and pilot’s rights to refuse to fly him on the plane as recognised by the Montreal and Tokyo conventions.
This is not a matter only of the home office - S came to the UK as a refugee and a deportation against a person's will is violent, abusive and oppressive. You have the power to change this situation and not be complicit in the harm and endangerment of these peoples’ lives. You as an airline are not obliged by law or the government to carry deportees.
Airlines can refuse to fly any passenger if, for example, they believe they may be dangerous or disruptive – as someone in distress might well be. On the airplane, legally, under the Montreal and Tokyo Conventions, the pilot has the ultimate say. And management is unlikely to thank staff for neglecting to act on concerns raised before the deportation, if something then goes badly wrong for a passenger or crew member. It is also against international law to return someone to a place where they might suffer inhuman or degrading treatment or cruelty, which our friend is risking.
Thank you for your time. Do not be complicit.
Best wishes,
3. For IG, Twitter, and generally social media, please use some of the text above and share our images and tag @British_Airways https://twitter.com/british_airways (Twitter) or @british_airways https://www.instagram.com/british_airways/ (Instagram)
