A CAT-astrophe
You have to be careful about references to or about cats, because people take such things very seriously.
The BBC reports that Theresa May ‘wrong’ over migrant cat tale
A claim by the Home Secretary that an illegal immigrant could not be deported because of his pet cat is wrong, according to England’s top judges.
Theresa May told the Conservative Party Conference that the ruling illustrated the problem with human rights laws.
A spokesman for the Judicial Office said the man’s pet had had nothing to do with the judgement allowing him to stay.
Mrs May has since told the BBC that her speech had been checked for accuracy.
The ‘Home Secretary’ [Secretary of State for the Home Department] doesn’t have an exact equivalent in the US government, as the job includes all of our Department of Homeland Security functions, plus some functions from the Department of Justice and the Department of the Interior.
The opposition smell ‘blood in the water’, so Theresa May under fire over deportation cat claim.
The quick version of what actually happened is that the cat was mentioned as part of the evidence that the defendant had a long-term relationship with a British citizen. This is similar to the US exemption for the spouse of a US citizen. The Home Office didn’t follow its own regulations in the deportation, so their decision was overruled on appeal. Neither the cat, nor human rights law was involved in the judicial decision, only the Home Office regulations.
Ms May has stepped in the litter box.
3 comments
Well that sort of rubbish would play well to the Daily Mail reader. It wouldn’t matter if there was not a shred of truth in the allegation.
If it was all about sleep deprivation experiments (what my cats are currently doing with me — “see how little sleep the penguin can survive on!”), I might find it believable. But in my experience immigration officers don’t give a shit about the fate of human children, nevermind the fate of varmints.
– Badtux the “Yeah, doesn’t pass laugh-and-giggle test” Penguin
I’m thinking of the political ads: Ms May as the Wicked Witch of the West – “I’ll deport you and your little moggy too…”
Re-write of FDR’s Fala speech with Maya the patriotic British short-hair being upset over the claims that she broke the rules on immigration.
Then we can bring back the sordid case of Paddington Bear and his immigration problems.
It is from such silliness that elections are won and lost.