Zimbabwean makes fresh plea for detention release

By Tichaona Sibanda
1 March 2010

A 24 year-old Zimbabwean man who has been languishing at an immigration detention centre in the UK for close to two years has made a fresh plea for his freedom.

Tatenda Jera who turns 25 next month, has been held in Portsmouth since 2008 awaiting deportation. Two months ago he was moved to a psychiatric clinic after fears that he might be suffering from bouts of depression, anxiety and general mood disorders.

Jera told SW Radio Africa on Monday that following treatment he has been moved back to Haslar immigration detention centre.

“I feel fine now but I’m generally disappointed that they are taking me back to the detention centre. My solicitors have tried in vain to have me released on bail, so I’m shattered and don’t know what to do,’ Jera said.

“Now I’m making a direct appeal to the authorities to please look at my case as I’ve been left to rot in the detention centre. I am not a criminal, but I’m being treated like one,’ Jera added. He came to the UK in 2000 when he fled Zimbabwe’s political troubles.

He got into trouble with UK authorities in July 2008 when he was arrested for not paying fines. He accumulated substantial fines for not paying fares on London’s public transport network in 2008.

“The immigration authorities are arguing that I have no respect for the British laws. But having spent almost two years in a detention centre I believe I’ve paid for the misdemeanours that got me into trouble,” he said.

Jera claimed asylum three times but his applications have been denied. He says he fears he might relapse into another bout of depression if he’s denied his freedom.