BRITAIN announced Thursday that it is resuming deportations to Zimbabwe after ministers decided that “the political situation is relatively stable and the humanitarian situation has greatly improved” since President Robert Mugabe agreed to share power with his opposition rivals in February last year.
Immigration lawyers said the
announcement came as a surprise given that a tribunal is sitting later this month to set a new country guidance case for Zimbabwe.
The move also came just under a month after a
minister told parliament Britain was “not starting enforced returns yet by any means” to Zimbabwe.
“It’s difficult to understand the logic of the ministers in putting the cart before the horse by amending the policy now and putting unnecessary political pressure on the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal judges,” immigration solicitor Yvonne Gwashawanhu said in London.
She added: “The Upper Tier Tribunal has listed before it the Zimbabwean country guidance case for hearing shortly and it is difficult to see how the judges can be expected to ignore this latest development.
“Needless to say, there will now be a flurry of activity within the Zimbabwean community in the UK.”
Matthew Coats, the UK Border Agency’s head of immigration said enforced removals would resume after the country guidance case judgement is handed down, which lawyers expect to happen before Christmas.
Coats said: “When we do recommence enforced removals, they will be taken forward in a carefully planned and phased way.
“We take our international responsibilities seriously and we will continue to grant protection to those Zimbabweans that need it. However, it is essential that we maintain the principle that each application for protection is considered on its individual merits and that returns are taken forward on a similar basis.
“The courts have found that not all Zimbabweans are in need of international protection.”
The UK Border Agency sent a research team to Zimbabwe in August to track down asylum seekers who returned voluntarily and also conduct interviews with human rights groups about potential safety risks for returnees.
The fact finding team released its report two weeks ago, and lawyer Gwashawanhu described its findings as “one-sided” and accused the team of “asking leading questions calculated to produce a desired response.”
Human rights groups say an election planned for next year could see a new flare-up of political violence.
Britain suspended forced removals to Zimbabwe in 2005 due to a political crisis engulfing the country at the time.
In 2008, Home Office figures showed there were 7,500 failed asylum seekers living in Britain.