British politicians wary of deporting Zimbabweans home

By Tichaona Sibanda

3 August 2006

Thereis a glimmer of hope for over 15 000 failed asylum seekers from Zimbabwe who face immediate deportation from the UK following indications from influential British politicians that the issue needs to be looked at carefully before the forced returns begin. Despite the Home Office on Wednesday winning the right to send them back home, top politicians from the Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties are uncomfortable with the British government sending people back to a brutal regime whose intolerance to different political views is well documented.

The Home Office indicated soon after the judgement that enforced returns to Zimbabwe could begin as early as next month but influential Shadow Home Office secretary for the Conservatives David Davies on Thursday issued a statement urging for restraint and more scrutiny on the issue.

Although all political parties and government are not in dispute with the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal ruling, there is growing concern among many British MPs that the Zimbabwean issue of asylum seekers needs to be looked at differently.

As such, senior members of the MDC will be meeting for an urgent Indaba Thursday night to try to bring a political dimension to the issue. Frantic efforts are now well underway to engage politicians from all parties to try and negotiate a political decision to halt the removals.

Harris Nyatsanza, a human rights activist who has barely slept the last four days, is spearheading this initiative after spending up to 20 hours per day canvassing for support from British members of Parliament.

‘Firstly politicians here respect the rule of law and as such they agree with the outcome of the court decision. However they feel uncomfortable to see the British government sending people to Zimbabwe as everyone knows the type of government that is in power there,’ Nyatsanza said.

He added that almost every MP he has discussed this issue with sympathises with the failed asylum seekers, including the British public who have also voiced their concern during radio and television talk shows.

‘This is a good start, at least we have the support of many British people who have been debating the issue on both radio and television and we also have the support of influential British MPs, including those from the Labour government. What we need to do now is to approach this politically since the legal route has come to an end,’ said Nyatsanza.