Deported former Windies cricketer Franklyn Rose tells his storyhttp://www.jamaicaobserver.com/latestnews/Deported-former-Windies-cricketer-Franklyn-Rose-tells-his-storyKINGSTON, Jamaica – Franklyn Rose, a former West Indian pace bowler who was recently deported from New Zealand, expressed disappointment in that country’s immigration system as he recounted the events that led to his deportation in a news release today from the West Indies Players' Association.
Read: Former Windies cricketer Rose deported from New Zealand
“I need to let people know what really happened, man. I am disappointed in the New Zealand Immigration system. I am very disappointed,” Rose repeated, before recounting being locked up abroad and then deported.
The following is a description of events, recounted by Rose, according to the WIPA release:
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Rose commenced his professional contract with New Zealand Cricket playing and coaching at the club level in 2010. He played two years at the club level before his contract ended, with high hopes of retaining a new one. This, however, did not happen for the Jamaican and former West Indian player.
According to Rose, in 2012 he was victim to a traumatic racial assault – one that changed his life forever. Four Caucasian men slurred racially discriminatory words while attacking him in an attempt to steal his car, he said in the release.
“They beat me down. One [guy] missed my head and chopped me on the hand.”
The former cricketer was subsequently admitted to hospital in the Intensive Care Unit for three days before being released prematurely.
“The nurses kicked me out, [they] said they needed to care for other patients. And after a day, my friend had to take me back to the hospital. I was having some serious pains,” Rose said. “The doctors told me I had a blood clot in my lungs and I had nerve damage in my hand.”
His cricket career was seemingly over. And irrespective of his medical condition, Rose said he was once again thrown out of the hospital after three days.
A few days later, Rose said he had to be taken back to the emergency room but the public hospital refused to treat him.
“They thought that I was addicted to drugs or pain medication or something. They knew I was sick though; that I had a blood clot. I ended up going to a private hospital instead,” Rose said.
The refusal to treat him, Rose believed, was racially inspired as well. He emphasised that the private hospital fees ranged as high at US$1,500 a day, which he had to pay out-of-pocket.
He was discharged after a week.
“I was prescribed very strong medication – Warfarin. That’s a blood thinner,” Rose said. “I also had internal bleeding in my brain. That meant more hospital fees and medication, and I was advised by the doctors that I could not travel by air.”
He explained that the severity of his health and the intake of these drugs disallowed him from flying back home to Jamaica. Rose said he stayed in New Zealand for another two years, whilst seeing various health specialists per week to assist with his slow recovery.
According to Rose, a week prior to the attack, he had a promising and continuous future playing cricket. The transition to being bedridden with no source of income was both unpredictable and calamitous. Depression quickly set in and inspired a feeling of hopelessness for the former cricketer, the WIPA release said.
“One morning, the police came knocking on my door. They questioned me about my immigration status and asked for my medical documents. I told them everything and gave them all my documents,” Rose said. “They put me a reporting order. I had to report to the police station every Wednesday at 9:00 am. I did that religiously.”
Rose added: “Everything was OK up until eight weeks ago. The police came to my house at 6:00 am and dragged me out. That was the last time I saw my house.”
The policemen that escorted Rose reportedly told him that he was under investigation for an alleged rape incident.
“I was so confused. I know that it was a lie and they treated me like I was nothing.”
Upon his arrival to the police station, he was questioned once again by the police about his immigration status and then thrown in jail. Rose was then advised that, irrespective of his medical condition, he would be deported due to his overstay.
He was taken to court and allegedly advised by the judge that there were no flights available for his deportation.
“They threw me in prison for 10 days among murderers, rapists and other convicts. It was crazy; I know I didn’t belong there,” Rose said. “I couldn’t get to use the shower. I couldn’t brush my teeth for 10 days and I didn’t even get my medication until after eight days ... I could have died in that cell. I was so depressed.”
On the eleventh day, Rose said he was taken back to court and advised once again that there were no flights available.
“They said I would have to go back to prison for another 28 days. I know for a fact that there were flights to and from New Zealand every day. That was ridiculous,” he said.
Rose recalled his most scarring experience in prison: “I was finally given shower privileges, but no one told me that each shower lasted for only five minutes. They cut off the water while I was soaped up. I had to wash off myself with the water from the toilet.”
Rose explained that he subsequently suffered from blisters and lesions on his skin, but was denied medical attention.
After spending 38 days in prison, he was taken out of his cell and escorted to the airport, Rose said.
“They put me in one of those prison trucks. They treated me like a criminal. When we got to the airport, two armed police guys were behind me the whole time with huge guns.”
Rose said he was then seated at the back of the plane and placed under high security. He was finally going home.
To date, there has been no arrest related to his assault.
“I reported the incident to the police, but because of the colour of my skin they thought I was in a gang or something,” he alleged.
Rose contends that the New Zealand authorities did not treat the matter justly and that it was not properly investigated, adding that his attorney is currently pursuing the case.
However, he believes it is important to recount his story for public information on racial profiling in predominantly Caucasian environments.
“Yeah, I want people to understand my side of the story, to set record straight,” Rose said adding that he is looking forward to his full recovery, enabling him to once again make a contribution to cricket.
“I want to give back to cricket in some way. I’m just glad to be back,” said the former Windies pacer.
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