• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Meet the Team
  • Contact us
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
NEWSLETTER
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home News

ESCALATING: EU citizens without settled status detained on arrival to the UK

The latest citizen to speak out about their experience is an Italian woman, who said she was “taken to prison” and she “burst into tears”.

Andra Maciuca by Andra Maciuca
2021-05-13 12:10
in News, Politics
Photo: PA

Photo: PA

FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmailWhatsapp

Dozens of European Union citizens are being detained upon their arrival to the UK, The London Economic can reveal.

Marta Lomartire, 24, is the latest victim. She had a job offer to work as an au pair in London, according to la Repubblica. But she was sent to the Colnbrook Immigration Removal Centre, which is described as a “prison” even by Google Maps.

UK border agents took all her personal belongings, including her phone.

She said: “They seized my suitcases and personal belongings, searched me, asked me questions, locked me in a small room under surveillance at the airport until 4 am.

“The border agents at Heathrow then told me they were taking me to a room “with more facilities” but later told me “it’s a prison” – something I understood when I looked up the word in Google Translator, as I don’t speak English well.”

“Shocked”

Marta said she was “shocked” at the sight of the place she was held in.

During her stay, she met another young woman from Tuscany who had been there on her own for five days, before more girls were brought in. The girl was also 24, had been there for five days and felt she was “going crazy,” Marta said. She thought she was being detained because a return flight would have cost more than what she paid.

RelatedPosts

Penny drops for the Express as ex-Sainsbury’s CEO blames Brexit for rising food prices

Truss set to announce plans to rip up Northern Ireland Brexit deal

The latest ‘Tory budgeting trick’ is an absolute corker

Reporter asks Johnson: ‘You must be furious with whoever signed this deal’

Marta added: “I couldn’t make sense of it. I hadn’t done anything wrong. I thought I had the correct documentation. Instead, I found myself surrounded by walls with barbed wire, windows with bars, huge security gates. It was a shock.

“Once inside, I burst into tears; it was inconceivable to me. They told me, ‘Don’t worry, you’re safe.’ But I was like, ‘How can I be safe in a place like that?’”

Marta wasn’t able to call her Italian cousin who is an NHS doctor

Marta was going to live with her cousin Giuseppe Pichierri, an NHS doctor and microbiologist.

But she wasn’t allowed to get in touch with him, so her family did not know what happened to her.

Marta said: “Later, they gave me an old phone without a camera. But there was no credit. I tried to recharge it, but I only had euros, and they only accepted pounds.

“So I called Giuseppe from the prison payphones, and that’s how he was able to reach me.”

Giuseppe said he is “furious and outraged”.

He said he tried but failed get Marta out, despite his family being resident citizens.

He said: “We are furious and outraged, my  English wife and father-in-law cannot understand what is happening to their country.”

“We are respectable citizens; they should have granted her bail.

“We had spoken with Paul Scully, the Conservative MP for the London constituency where we live, and a business minister, and they assured us there would be no problem”.

Spanish woman among those detained

Marta’s story comes as dozens of EU citizens have reportedly been detained in similar conditions since 1 January.

Among those detained was a 25-year-old woman from Valencia, Spain.

She arrived at London Gatwick Airport in her search for job opportunities, after previously working in the UK in 2019.

She explained her reasons to enter the UK, coupled with the fact that she has relatives and friends here. But despite offering to fly back home, she was sent to Yarl’s Wood Immigration removal centre.

Her friend, Oriol Arnedo, said: “As far as they say, it’s a detention centre where men and women eat in shifts and they have a garden to walk in.”

European Commission ‘worried about’ EU citizens detained by UK

The European Commission recently told TLE that they are keeping a close eye on the way EU citizens are being treated.

A lead European Commission spokesperson for Foreign Affairs said: “We are aware of this consular issue which has already been raised in meetings last between the EU Delegation in London, the Portuguese Presidency and EU Member States. 

“The EU Delegation is following this case closely, in particular the conditions and the duration of retention, which are a source of concern.”

Related: European Commission ‘worried about’ EU citizens detained by UK

EXCLUSIVE: Spanish woman in search for better life detained upon arrival in UK

Tags: EU citizensEU Settled StatusEU Settlement Schemeheadline

Since you are here

Since you are here, we wanted to ask for your help.

Journalism in Britain is under threat. The government is becoming increasingly authoritarian and our media is run by a handful of billionaires, most of whom reside overseas and all of them have strong political allegiances and financial motivations.

Our mission is to hold the powerful to account. It is vital that free media is allowed to exist to expose hypocrisy, corruption, wrongdoing and abuse of power. But we can't do it without you.

If you can afford to contribute a small donation to the site it will help us to continue our work in the best interests of the public. We only ask you to donate what you can afford, with an option to cancel your subscription at any point.

To donate or subscribe to The London Economic, click here.

The TLE shop is also now open, with all profits going to supporting our work.

The shop can be found here.

You can also SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER .

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending on TLE

  • All
  • trending
Abdollah

‘Rescue us’: Afghan teacher begs UK to help him escape Taliban

CHOMSKY: “If Corbyn had been elected, Britain would be pursuing a much more sane course”

What If We Got Rid Of Prisons?

More from TLE

‘I don’t think we should be giving it the time of day’ – one off payment to replace UC slammed

Buckland ‘must resign’ if he fails to tackle rape figures within a year

‘Disgusting lack of respect:’ Met Police officers admit sharing pics of murdered sisters

Coronavirus UK: Britons advised against non-essential foreign travel

London’s best al fresco drinking destinations

Watch: Leave-voting expats realise an end to free movement also applies to them

Resilient Manchester shows that we are uniting in the face of adversity

Tories press ahead with Corbyn’s “crazy” renationalisation plans

Private school attended by Tony Blair faces racism claims including holding slave auctions

‘Laugh now, but one day no-one will be in charge’ Banksy’s House of Commons packed full of chimpanzees goes on sale

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.