Zimbabweans pressure British PM over deportations

Posted by on Tuesday, March 19, 2013 in Diaspora, Zimbabwe politics | 10 comments

British Prime Minister David Cameron

By Alex Bell
19 March 2013

Zimbabweans in the UK have urged the British Prime Minister David Cameron to impose a moratorium on the deportation of Zim nationals, because of increasing levels of violence and intimidation back home.

This call has been made by the UK based Restoration of Human Rights (ROHR) group, which has warned Cameron in a letter that violence is on the rise. The group cited the “disturbing campaign” of police harassment of civic groups in Zimbabwe as well as increasing violence.

“The MDC party of Morgan Tsvangirai has submitted a dossier to the Southern African Development Community detailing 120 incidents of violence in the past few months. We expect the situation to worsen as polling approaches because President Mugabe’s ZANU PF thugs are given impunity by the police to terrorise opponents,” ROHR said in its letter to Prime Minister Cameron.

ROHR spokesperson Fungayi Mabhunu told SW Radio Africa on Tuesday that many Zimbabwean exiles are living in fear in the UK, because of the threat of being deported.

He also warned that there are growing reports of abuse at the hands of UK Border Agency officials, with some Zimbabwean deportees being sedated during attempts to forcibly remove them from the country.

“We are deeply disturbed by allegations that deportees to Zimbabwe are being threatened with sedation to facilitate their forced removal from the UK. We are also concerned by the practice of detaining asylum seekers when they sign-in as required by law. We believe this approach discourages compliance and instead drives the frightened asylum seeker under the radar and possibly into crime,” Mabhunu said.

“We beg the UK government to seriously consider deferring deportations to Zimbabwe to at least 6 months after the planned 2013 elections which we believe will be, like those before them, violent,” Mabhunu said.

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  • Chimbwidos Warvets

    It is all a pack of lies. With the formation of the inclusive government in Zimbabwe, nobody is threatened by anyone. These guys simply want to have a stay and make a little money while in the United Kingdom. That is all there is to it.

    • dumbu

      ZANU(PF) is moving in its boat of violence. This is known by everybody here in our country. In Headlands , Kwekwe, etc reports of violence by ZANU(PF) activists are reported. Human Rights lawyers are being harassed. In which country are you Chimbwido Jambanjavets living?

      • Chimbwidos Warvets

        Don’t be fooled by the term ‘human rights lawyers’ because they are not in the true sense of the word. They are moles or wolves in sheep’s clothing as their agenda in Zim is now very well known. The law enforcement agencies of Zim shall deal with these moles until all wolves in sheep’s clothing have been dealt with firmly but fairly. We shall not retreat from this principle. Peace loving people of this country have nothing to fear, end of story.

        • http://www.facebook.com/nashbrigdes Nyasha Manatsa

          obviously everything is good for you chimbwidos…..u r a goon for zanu-pf……zombied by their violent policies…that is why u r are safe…….

          • Chimbwidos Warvets

            Shamwari usadaro. Ini ndangotaurawo chokwadi. Ivovanhu ngavarege kunyepa uye vaende kumusha kwavo kwete kunyepa kutivanakirwe memapondo. Ngavaende kumusha kwavokurinini panekusorodadirwa nebabunu.

          • http://www.facebook.com/nashbrigdes Nyasha Manatsa

            u definitely have a complex……mugabe is not governing in the interests of the nation as a whole……….period….we need to redress that before we talk about people returning there…..or how good zimbabwe is
            ….

        • dumbu

          Shut up you ZANUOID sanctioneer !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

          • Chimbwido Warvet

            Watanga kurotomoka. Chitevera mhondi idzi uwone zvinoitika blazo. In one of your posts, you were advocating that these guys head back home to Zimbabwe. Have you now changed your mind, Dumbu? If you have, then you are not consistent and reliable.

    • shurugwi

      Mari yemadiamonds ndiyo inokuswedza pano uchingopa macomments asina basabasa. maCio muri zvirema zvisingafunge.

      • Chimbwidos Warvets

        Ko imi ve MDC munoda mari yemadiamonds yei imimuchida ma sanctions? Ndikosaka musingapiwe mari yemadimondi nekuti hamukodzere. The fact that your political party and Morgan Tsvangirai in particular advocated for the imposition of economic sanctions against the country he is now one of its top leaders, clearly underscores the fact that your Finance Minister Biti will never get a penny from the proceeds of diamonds. There will be no point in giving the proceeds of our diamonds to a minister who yesterday was advocating for the imposition of sanctions against his own country. Saka regai tinakirwe nemari iyoyo.