By Lance Guma
05 July 2005

There is pressure on British Airways to stop carrying failed Zimbabwean asylum seekers who face deportation from the UK. The United Network of Detained Zimbabweans is planning to hold pickets at all BA's offices in the UK everyday at 12:30pm. On Monday they held a picket at Piccadilly in London and another one in Manchester. The group, led by activist Nobel Sibanda, is reported to have roped in the support of British Labour Party MP, Kate Hoey who visited Zimbabwe a few weeks back.

Sibanda said most protesters were in Gleneagles Scotland for the G8 summit and once they came back, the crowds will grow from the few who took part on Monday. The group feels British Airways is playing a leading role in the deportation of failed asylum seekers to Zimbabwe when other airlines have refused to be dragged into that kind of public relations nightmare. Hundreds of asylum seekers from the country are on a hunger strike in several detention centres in protest at their pending deportations.