Sex-for-asylum whistleblower wins appeal

Sex-for-asylum whistleblower wins appeal

TANYA seen here with James Dawute, the official sacked after the sex-for-asylum scandal was exposed

• UK names new country guidance case for Zim asylum seekers

• Two thirds of Brits want amnesty for immigrants

• Scotland reviews 'legacy' asylum cases

• UK threatens to deport Zim journalist to Iraq

• UK sex-for-asylum whistle-blower faces deportation

• Reaction to Court of Appeal judgment in AA

• Full text of Court of Appeal judgment

• Zimbabwe asylum case referred back to AIT

• UK MPs debate Zimbabwe deportations

• UK immigration amnesty texts a hoax

• Court of Appeal to hear AA test case

• MDC chairman a lying identity crook

• UK warns on voluntary return scheme

• Divided we fall

• Let's get real about asylum issues

• UK detains Zimbabwean asylum seekers

• COMMENT: Betrayed by Blair, they will simply go underground

• Full text of AIT judgment on deportations

• Britain can deport Zim asylum seekers

• The Home Office v Zim asylum seekers

• Asylum tribunal hears evidence from ex-CIO men

• UK asylum court battle set for July

By Staff Reporter

TANYARADWA Maisiri, the teenage girl at the centre of a sex-for-asylum scandal at the British Immigration Service in May last year has won her appeal to stay in the UK.

The 19-year-old ‘Tanya’ was told by UK immigration officials that she would be deported back to Zimbabwe after her asylum application was rejected in March this year.

But after an appeal hearing, Tanya was told she could stay, a judge agreeing with her that she faced persecution if returned to Zimbabwe, where President Robert Mugabe’s government is accused of human rights abuses.

Reacting to the decision, Tanya said: "I am so happy. I had known about the decision for a few days before Friday.

"Friday is when the Home Office decided not to appeal, and it was such a relief because I didn’t know what was going to happen. I am really overwhelmed with everything at the moment.”

Tanya now says she has a decision to make about her future.

“I just need to calm down before I think about what I want to do, but I have had contact from an agency that wants me to be a model, and if that doesn’t work, I have always wanted to be a nutritionist. I can study towards that.”

And Vauxhall MP Kate Hoey, who chairs the all-party parliamentary group on Zimbabwe, said: “I'm really happy that Tanya has been successful in winning her appeal against deportation. It is terrible that vulnerable girls fleeing terror in countries such as Zimbabwe have been subjected to further abuse in the UK.”

In May last year, Tanya found herself at the centre of a major asylum scandal which culminated in the resignation of Home Office Minister, Tony McNulty.

The scandal was sparked by an investigation by the Observer newspaper, revealing that officials in the Immigration Service were offering to help asylum seekers with their applications to remain in the UK in return for sex.

An official was sacked from his job and is now the subject of a criminal investigation. Other examples of serious malpractice came to light following the scandal.

Tanya has always insisted “going back is not an option”. And when told she could be deported in March, she said: “Even death is better. My husband was shot in Zimbabwe. The situation is getting worse and I'm really scared.”

The Home Office case collapsed after evidence by her ex-husband, who had an arranged marriage with her when she was 16, was discredited. Tanya’s ex-husband has insisted in newspaper articles that her story was a pack of lies.
JOIN THE DEBATE ON THIS ARTICLE ON THE NEWZIMBABWE.COM FORUMS
newsdesk@newzimbabwe.com