Offender should not be dealt with harshly, just because he is from another country
4th October 2011: Spare a thought for the family of foreign nationals, who may face deportation following the changes in the rules.
As the Government brings in changes to the right to a 'family life’, it’s the spouses and the children who may find themselves at the receiving end.
The Government has made it abundantly clear that foreign nationals with a child or who marry in the UK may not be spared deportation, if they flout the law.
The new rules overtly say the right to 'family life' should be discounted, if children were fathered while the immigrant was in Britain illegally.
The intention behind the move may be logical. After all, the changes to the immigration rules are aimed at ending the alleged abuse of the Human Rights Act.
But what about the spouses and the children left behind to fend for themselves? There may be cases where the spouses are not even aware of the criminality committed by their partners and may have entered the relationship quite innocently.
And, what about the son growing up in the UK with his father in a strange land, not even in a position to visit him on special family occasions.
Can they be penalized for the actions of their spouses?
While no one is opposed to action against the criminals — foreigners or natives, it’s for the Government to see each case is presented in the right light for decision on merits. Blanket ban orders have done good to no one.
Deportation may be well justified in cases of heinous crimes. But, when the nature of crime is not so odious, the offender should not be shown the door just because he happens to be from another country.
The punishment must commensurate the crime — foreigners or natives.
By Monika