 Asylum appeals over the Zimbabwe situation have been rumbling on for quite some time now. Is it time for a new strategy? Many are now calling for a political solution. Related Stories UK tightens visa identity checks for Zimbabweans Britain's asylum rules come under scrutiny in human rights case |
06 January 2008
The Britain Zimbabwe Society has opened a petition to the Prime
Minister which you can see on the Number 10 website at the following
address:
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/ZimbabweHSruling/
We invite you to please sign the petition and forward this message on
to encourage others to do so.
Thank you,
Margaret Ling
Britain Zimbabwe Society
The petition reads:
We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to continue to allow
unsuccessful asylum seekers from Zimbabwe to remain in the UK, and to
continue the suspension of forced removals to Zimbabwe.
Mr Brown, we have noted your concern for the population of Zimbabwe,
and your wish to send unmistakable signals of this concern to the
Zimbabwean government.
So we are disturbed by the recent determination of the UK Asylum and
Immigration Tribunal, in the case of HS, that unsuccessful Zimbabwean
asylum seekers may safely be deported back home. It would be ironic
if the first unmistakable signal from your Government were to be the
resumption of forced deportations. These were suspended in January
2002, and human rights in Zimbabwe have not improved since then.
The AIT's determination is permissive but not mandatory. There is no
legal or other compulsion on your Government. We ask that the current
suspension on forced removal to Zimbabwe remains in place. This would
be more consistent with your public position on Zimbabwe.
We also ask that the Zimbabweans involved be freed from detention and
harassment and that they be enabled both to support themselves and to
take part in the debate about the future of their country. They
should be allowed to seek employment and so relieved from
destitution. In this way Britain would give Zimbabwe a real example
of how to implement human rights.
Do you think the Zimbabwe-UK asylum issue should be resolved legally or politically? Join the debate in our forums today and share your views.
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