Zimbabweans to protest against deportations in UK

Zimbabweans to protest against deportations in UK

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By Staff Reporter

HUNDREDS of Zimbabwean exiles will on Wednesday mass outside 10 Downing Street to protest the deportation of Zimbabwean asylum seekers.

"We want to tell the government of Mr Tony Blair what it already knows -- that Zimbabwe is not a safe country and these deportations are immoral," Arthur Molife, one of the organisers said.

Britain announced last month that it was lifting a two-year suspension of the forced removal of Zimbabweans whose asylum applications have failed. While acknowledging that the economic and political situation had not improved, the Immigration Minister said the policy had been "abused".

As the Zimbabweans prepared for the protest march, a 22-year-old woman was awaiting deportation after she was seized from Swansea, Wales over the weekend.

Catherine Mbele, 22, was being held at Yarleswood Detention Centre in Bedfordshire. She told New Zimbabwe.com by telephone that she had counted at least six other Zimbabweans who are also awaiting deportation.

"I don't want to be in this detention centre and I don't want to go to Zimbabwe," Mbele from Bulawayo's Mpopoma suburb said. "I am pleading with the British government to please have mercy."

New Zimbabwe.com alerted the British Refugee Council and the Zimbabwe Development Support Association (ZDSA) to her fate and lawyers were expected to file papers blocking her deportation.

Themba Moyo of the ZDSA said: "We have said it's wrong to be deporting Zimbabweans because of the hostile political reality obtaining in Zimbabwe."

Starting at noon on Wednesday, demonstrators will converge at the Zimbabwe embassy in London before heading for 10 Downing Street and the Foreign Office where a petition will be handed over to the Prime Minister's representatives.

Programme
1200 hrs at Zimbabwe House, 429 Strand, London. Near Charing Cross Station.

1400 hrs: We depart from Zimbabwe House past South Africa House, Trafalgar
Square and then head for No: 10 Downing Street and then to the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and end up at Parliament Square.

Nearest Tube Stations: - Embankment: Bakerloo, District & Northern Lines.

Charing Cross: Bakerloo & Northern Lines.

British Rail Station: Charing Cross.

There are numerous Bus Routes past Trafalgar Square and Charing Cross Station: 3, 6, 9, 11, 12, 15, 23, 24, 29, 53, 77, 77a 88, 91, 176, 453 to mention a few.

For more information: Contact Numbers are: - 07960126028. 07969449760. 07916155604. 07958015610
New Zimbabwe.com accepts no responsibility over errors or changes to this programme
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