A deportation flight from the United Kingdom landed in Jamaica on Wednesday, August 11, with seven people on board. Last minute appeals and a series of urgent high-court injunction applications, led to 83 people who were initially scheduled for deportation being pulled from the flight. Concerns were also raised as it relates to COVID-19, following reports of an outbreak at one of the detention centers.

According to a Guardian Report, the home office gave the Jamaican government assurances that nobody at risk of COVID-19 would be on the flight. It says everyone due to fly had a negative PCR test. The UK Home Office maintains that it will make no apology for seeking to protect its population by removing serious, violent and persistent foreign national offenders.

Human rights activist Zita Holbourne says these deportations are racist, Holbourne says there are more flights scheduled for Jamaica. Several attempts to reach out to the Ministry of National Security for a comment, but there was no response.

More in this CVM Live story from Robian Williams: