Zim asylum test case judgment date set

Zim asylum test case judgment date set

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By Staff Reporter

THE Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT) has set Wednesday, August 2, as the day of judgment in a test case which lawyers say will decide the fate of Zimbabwean asylum seekers in Britain.

The three-men panel of Justices Hodge, Warr and Southern heard arguments from lawyers for a Zimbabwean, known as AA, seeking that Zimbabwe be declared an "unsafe" destination to return asylum seekers whose claims have been rejected.

However, the British Home Office opposed the application, arguing that there were no known cases of torture or government harassment of asylum seekers returned to Zimbabwe.

The Home Office even used a statement made by President Robert Mugabe imploring Zimbabwean exiles to "come home" as evidence that the government in fact encouraged the return of failed asylum seekers.

It has taken almost a month for the judges to come with a decision, a delay legal experts say is a result of the large volume of evidence they had to go through, including about 3 000 pages of written evidence, the field report prepared by the Home Office following visits to Zimbabwe and several monthly reports collected by the British Embassy in recent months from a variety of NGOs and church organisations in Zimbabwe.

Taffy Nyawanza, New Zimbabwe.com's immigration expert said: "There are also several statements from these NGOs and church organisations before the Tribunal. At least 27 Zimbabwe-based or Zimbabwe-concerned organisations have given evidence. Add to that 51 individuals who have also given evidence in the matter, and you have the makings of an epic trial."

Britain resumed the deportation of Zimbabwean asylum seekers in December 2004, lifting a two-year ban on all deportations, imposed in recognition of Zimbabwe's "appalling human rights record".

Human rights groups blasted the decision to resume deportations, insisting that nothing had changed in Zimbabwe to justify the policy-shift.

It is unknown how many people were deported before the AIT ordered a freeze until a final decision was reached on the AA application.
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