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Quote from: Pastis on April 28, 2010, 07:51:14 PMThen why's she looking like she's just seen the ghost of Christmas yet to come then?
Then why's she looking like she's just seen the ghost of Christmas yet to come then?
Former Cabinet minister Hazel Blears has been using an illegal immigrant who is facing deportation on her campaign team.Rhoda Sulaimon, who is originally from Nigeria, has been leafleting for the Labour MP in her constituency of Salford, Greater Manchester.The revelation is another blow for Labour, whose open-door immigration policy has already faced much criticism this week after Gordon Brown called an elderly lady in Rochdale concerned about the subject a ?bigot?.Miss Sulaimon took the position to try to stay in the country, a Labour campaign source said.He told The Sun: ?Rhoda has been working voluntarily for Hazel Blears in the hope it might help her case.?She doesn?t want to go back to Nigeria and is desperate to stay here. She?s been helping out for weeks at the local campaign office and has been out with Hazel when she meets people and goes out leafleting.?Miss Sulaimon came to Britain on a student visa five years ago but has remained in the country after having her daughter, who is now four-years-old.It is believed that she has been living on benefits in a council flat.On April 16, Miss Sulaimon was served notice by Home Office immigration officials saying she had 30 days to report for deportation. All previous appeals had been exhausted.Last night, Mrs Blears admitted she had no idea her employee was an illegal immigrant.She said: ?I had absolutely no personal knowledge about the situation whatsoever and in fact I?d never met this woman until she walked off the street to volunteer to stuff a few envelopes about three weeks ago. I certainly do not, and never have, condoned illegal immigration.?If you check my record in the various posts I?ve held, I?ve cracked down hard on immigration. In terms of this woman Rhoda, I have instructed her to leave the campaign, and she has gone.?Mrs Blears said she has informed the Border Agency of Miss Sulaimon?s situation for fear she might try to go into hiding.She said: ?I told her that if she didn?t have any right to be here she should go. She was upset. I?m concerned she may go underground or leave her accommodation. I have therefore contacted the Border Agency and spoken to the chief immigration officer.?I?ve told her she should go back to Nigeria voluntarily and I want the process speeded up so she can go back as quickly as possible.?Miss Sulaimon declined to comment
