UK immigration amnesty texts a hoax

UK immigration amnesty texts a hoax

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By Staff Reporter

ZIMBABWEANS in the United Kingdom cranked up huge phone bills this week after a hoax text message swept across the immigrant community urging them to vote for a nationwide amnesty for illegal immigrants.

In a country where the constant fear of deportation reigns among immigrants, the message sparked a texting frenzy from foreign nationals who believed it was a UK government survey.

The text message proclaimed: "Please ring 08453004433 to vote amnesty 4 immigrants in the UK before Tuesday next wk and pass on the message to as many as u can.

"The UK gvt is considering granting permanent visa/indefinite stay to immigrants that are already here both legal and illegal, this will be presented to the parliament next tuesday. You may not need it but remember ur bros & sis who r in need." (sic)

There were slight variations to the text messages seen by New Zimbabwe.com with one urging at the end: "Let's pray for God to make this happen."

New Zimbabwe.com received several enquiries from Zimbabweans concerned that they were possibly being ripped off.

One reader said: "If this is a lot of hot air, then let your readers know so that they don't waste precious time and money calling that number and getting their hopes up for nothing...we have enough on our minds as it is without having to worry about getting false hopes."

It is not known where the text originated from, but the premium rate number belongs to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). A recorded voice announces that it is a "BBC London vote line", and advises that the "line is not active at present and all recent votes have now closed".

Themba Moyo, a Zimbabwean campaigner on asylum and immigration issues on Tuesday shed new light on the text craze.

He said: "BBC television ran a very unscientific survey during one of their news programmes last week, as they always do on many issues, and urged people to text that number.

"That survey was targeted at all TV viewers, which includes British nationals, an overwhelming majority of whom rejected the amnesty suggestion during the vote. Someone, it would appear, then made this as a text and added a few details to make it sound like a government project."

Sarah Harland of the Zimbabwe Association said they had received several enquiries from Zimbabweans who also received the text message.

"I got a couple of texts myself," she said. "We contacted the Refugee Council who knew nothing about such a government survey. I don't think it has any foundation...my initial thoughts were that it was some sort of scam. We have no idea where it came from.

"There is no shift in the UK government's policy on this issue. There are always lots of rumours about this amnesty, but if anyone believes a government policy can be changed by text message, then they will believe anything."

In July last year, UK ministers ruled out an amnesty for illegal immigrants at the end of a review of UK border controls.

Campaigners for an amnesty have said it is unrealistic to think that about half a million "irregular migrants" can readily be deported.

"We can say that we will be ruling out an amnesty," Immigration Minister Liam Bryne said last July.

Byrne stressed the immigration department had made progress, with asylum applications down 72% from their 2002 peak and more failed claimants being deported.

"That didn't happen by accident. It took a lot of people a lot of hard work," he said. "We will be pressing on, not going backwards."

The government estimates there are up to 570,000 illegal immigrants in the UK.

The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) said illegal immigrants who had been in the UK for at least two years should be allowed to stay.

And any illegal immigrants with no serious criminal record should be given the right to stay permanently after they had spent seven years in Britain, it said.

Habib Rahman, chief executive of the council, said a solution to the illegal immigrants in the country had to be found now.

"It's a political reality that around half a million irregular migrants can't readily be deported and EU migration alone cannot be relied on to fill the jobs many of them are doing," he said.

"It's time to get real - put this beyond politics and start talking practical solutions. In the end a system that denies full rights to all migrants in the UK is both socially unjust and is creating losers all round."

But the right-wing MigrationWatch UK claimed it would take 20 or 30 years to build enough social housing for illegal immigrants if there was an amnesty.

Zimbabweans cannot be deported at present pending the finalisation of a test case brought by a Zimbabwean asylum seeker known as AA, in which a he is seeking Zimbabwe to be declared an "unsafe" country to deport failed asylum seekers to.

The long running case is at the Appeal process after an Asylum and Immigration Tribunal ruled in favour of the UK Home Office Minister who is seeking to resume deportations.

Sarah Harland of the Zimbabwe Association said a ruling is likely to be made by mid-February.
Additional reporting BBC
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