Solidarity with Ernesto Leal

Ernesto Leal is a London-resident Scottish artist caught up in the Charles Clarke deportation brouhaha. He came to the UK from Chile as a teenager, got given indefinate leave to remain with his family, made Scotland his home. He served some time after a pub brawl - which he insists was racially motivated. Now he is threatened with deportation - to Jamaica of all places - probably as part of the Home Office drive to make their deporting foreigners figures look better. A campaign to keep him here is being led by his mate, the great Irvine Welsh.

Links: Herald, Independent (subscribers only), A Big Stick 1 & 2, Dorian Moore.

If you want to take action:

PLEASE CONTACT YOUR OWN MP OR THE HOME OFFICE AND ASK WHY ERNESTO LEAL (REFERENCE L306526) HAS BEEN ARRESTED AND IS BEING DEPORTED.

The Home Office Immigration and Nationality Directorate - UK Immigration Service, Criminal Casework Team, 14th Floor, Lunar House, Croydon CR9 2BY Tel: 0208 196 0942 Fax: 0208 196 0930

Comments

Anonymous said…
Bob, there is a Friends of Ernesto Leal site here (http://www.friendsofernesto.org.uk)
Anonymous said…
What of poor old Ernesto's victim(s)?

He glassed someone and got prosecuted for GBH with intent - and found guilty.

HOw many stitches does the victim have?

Has he/she been scarred for life?

Is there any paralysis?

How about any psychological trauma.

Please find out and print the full story so we can all make an informed decision as to society will benefit from Ernesto's continued presence in this country.

Thank You.
Anonymous said…
the victim received a good compensation.of wich he was very satisfied,
Anonymous said…
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
fiona cormack said…
I knew him and his family when we were at school and he never bullied me or took my money.
He was guilty of trying a bit to hard to be cool but he is a nice guy.
Anonymous said…
I know Ernesto and am at a loss to understand how anyone could describe him as 'nasty'. He is a devoted and caring father, a loyal husband and a kind and socially conscious individual. He neither drinks or uses drugs. Whoever wrote the spiteful comment above must have a personal reason to persecute him, perhaps through envy.
bob said…
I removed the anonymous comment making allegations about Mr Leal. I have tried to find out from the internet what happened, whether he was deported. I couldn't find anything. (Made more confusing by a Chilean political refugee in London of the same name, who sadly died in 2009, and a Cuban-born London-based artist of the same name.) Can anyone provide an update?

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