Zimbabwe protesters march on British Home Office

Zimbabwe protesters march on British Home Office

• Britain must stop the Zimbabwe deportations

• UK wants asylum seekers to clean-up streets

• Zimbabweans in UK student visa scam

• UK tells Zim asylum seeker: 'It's your fault you were persecuted'

• Britain accused of 'savage brutality' over Zim deportations

• Zimbabwe says UK deportees 'mercenaries of regime change'

• Zim families qualify for UK amnesty

• Britain urged to halt deportations

• UK protests planned over deportations

• Neighbour's eye witness account as UK deports Zim mum

• Britain deports Zimbabwe mum and kids

• UK condemned over deportation of Zim asylum seekers

• UK resumes deportation of Zimbabweans

• Britain plugs Zimbabwe visa loophole

• Britain still a magnet for Zimbabweans

• Zim immigrants account for half of Aids cases in UK

• Deported for falling out of love

• Britain's asylum shame

• Britain clamps down on C'nwealth job scheme

• Britain clamps down on sham marriages

• 6 years for hit-and-run Zim refugee

• Zanu PF UK asylum network exposed

• Police shed more light on visa scam

• Zim man nabbed in visa scam

By Staff Reporters

HUNDREDS of Zimbabwean protesters gathered in central London on Saturday to urge ministers to stop deportations of failed asylum seekers to Zimbabwe.

The protesters were joined by trade union officials, MPs and the high profile former Labour MP Tony Benn as they marched on the British Home Office.

Campaigners say the government is putting lives at risk after it reversed its policy of not sending people back to the country.

One of US President George W Bush's top team has described Robert Mugabe's regime as an "outpost of tyranny".

But the Home Office says it has resumed removals to Zimbabwe to tackle a rise in unfounded applications.

In November last year, immigration minister Des Browne ended a two-year suspension on removals, put in place because of the security situation in the country.

Large numbers of Zimbabwean opposition activists have fled the country, saying their lives were in danger.

Some 14,000 Zimbabweans have claimed asylum since 2000. The most recent figures show that only 55 of 650 cases considered were considered genuine, although a further 110 won the right to stay on appeal.

The Home Office will not confirm any figures but community sources estimate up to 100 failed asylum seekers and visa over-stayers may have already been put on planes out of the UK.

Zimbabwean campaigners are fighting the returns, saying people are being sent back to an uncertain fate amid growing tension ahead of elections in March.

Brighton Chireka, spokesman for the Zimbabwean campaign, said removals were contradicting the government's own statements on the situation in the country.

"The Foreign Office says there is a crisis in Zimbabwe and that there has been no change [in the risks to opposition activists] so the question we ask is why has the Home Office changed its policy to send people back?" said Dr Chireka.

"We believe they are removing Zimbabweans by any means possible so they can meet their removal targets, yet you cannot hand these people over to the Zimbabwean authorities."

A spokesman for the Home Office said the returns were justified because of the increased proportion of unfounded claims from the region.

The suspension of removals had become a "pull factor" for fraudulent applicants posing as Zimbabweans, said the spokesman.

"This change in asylum policy is entirely about operating a firm and fair asylum system. It does not reflect any change in the Government's categorical opposition to human rights abuses in Zimbabwe," she said.

"Genuine refugees, including members of opposition parties, will continue to be protected.

"We will also continue to push the government of Zimbabwe to end human rights abuses, and restore democracy so that all Zimbabweans can in time return safely to build a prosperous and stable country."
Additional reporting BBC
JOIN THE DEBATE ON THIS ARTICLE ON THE NEWZIMBABWE.COM FORUMS
newsdesk@newzimbabwe.com