ZIMBABWE ASSOCIATION PRESS RELEASE

SAFETY RISK TO   OPPOSITION SUPPORTER 

RETURNED TO ZIMBABWE  BY THE UK AS A ‘BOGUS’  ASYLUM SEEKER.

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Contact:

Alan Wilkinson

Wilkinsonac@hotmail.com

 Phone: 020-7702-7650

 Fax: 020-7702-7617

 Cellular: 07710-419-141

Date 06/01/02.

Following previous press concerns we have  received a report from members of the Zimbabwe Association  about  events upon return to Harare of  another  black Zimbabwean deportee, EM.

In view of therecent  acute descent into orchestrated pre-election violence and intimidation practised by Robert Mugabe's regime on any and all who  voice opposition, the  Zimbabwe Association had   made  representations to the Home Office  to prevent his removal.

The Zimbabwe Association is a recently founded charity . It  has a
central committee, the Asylum Seekers and Refugee Support Group, which 
 provides support to bonafide Zimbabwe asylum seekers in the UK on  a non party political basis.

An increasing number of Zimbabweans have arrived last year as asylum seekers. Most are black, a fact at variance with views in  Home Office documents describing the  Mugabe government ‘s actions as directed  mainly against  white Zimbabweans.

All Zimbabwe  arrivals, black and white, are Commonwealth citizens with valid passports and the right to visit the United Kingdom as visitors. An unusually high  number of black Zimbabweans  are  now held in detention, almost all  under the certified 'Oakington' procedures, ie. with restricted appeal rights under the Asylum Act. We know of no  white Zimbabwean asylumseekers, in detention or out. Whites comprise approx. 18% of Zimbabwe’s population. Black Zimbabweans are now the third largest group of UK  asylum detainees.

During the week prior to EM's removal on 1 Jan 2002, two black Zimbabweans had been identified clearly by co-detainees at the Gatwick detention centre of Tinsley House as a warvet and a CIO operative..  The warvet, possibly coincidentally called Chihuri, bore   the same name  as the Zimbabwe Commissioner of Police, Augustin Chihuri. The second was recognized beyond doubt by another detainee  as the friend of a relative himself known to be a  CIO intelligence operative, Patrick GANHIWA.

Chihuri, during his stay in the detention centre, had openly admitted to Zim detainees that he was unconcerned about any asylum procedure or about returning to Zimbabwe, and was there simply to find out about them and about UK immigration/ operations.He was removed the day before EM.

Ganhiwa, acting much more circumspectly, was seen during his days in detention accidentally  to drop from his pocket an  Observer article taken from the weekend’s  papers reporting forthcoming Zimbabwe removals and the risk run by them upon return. This had been  noted especially since newspapers are treated with great respect by asylum detainees as valuable information and are never taken away by individuals. He had become agitated when confronted by detainees  about this. He was  to be removed four days after EM, but was known to have suddenly asked the Immigration Officer at Tinsley to have his return brought forward so he would travel on the same flight as EM. This was agreed.

A journalist reporting for  a wellknown British daily  managed to make contact with EM after his return and reported in his telephone call to the ZA that the war vet Chihuri, who had been removed the previous day (31.12.01), had been seen by EM when descending from the plane. He was standing at the airport police station with the officers of the Zimbabwe Central Intelligence Organisation and immigration service,  pointing out returning failed asylum seekers to them.

EM saw and recognised Chihuri as he was coming down the steps of the plane. He managed to escape and is now on the run. EM  broke off his interview with the journalist midway, because, as the Z.A believes, he is in serious danger, and thought  to remain in hiding.

Sarah H.said: " I was too emotional with rage  to take in all the details, except that Chihuri had been there , pointing  out returning asylum seekers to the Zimbabwe intelligence- and immigration officals , and relieved to know that E. had escaped. 

We are deeply concerned  at the way UK  immigration officials just do NOT listen to reports such as these, and make decisions to remove based on Home Office country reports compiled by people who go nowhere near the dangerous areas, whilst tucked away safely inside Britain. They have no understanding of the schizophrenic nature of current Zim society - It is possible for  whites to  live peacefully in Harare saying everything is fine whilst  nearby within  an area 3 miles away people  starve, are being beaten,  hounded and terrorised for opposing the ruling party. I would wish to send Lord Rooker on a fact finder to Muzarabani or any one of a number of  currently extremely dangerous  areas."

The Zimbabwe Association further notes that recent  Home Office CIPU reports on Zimbabwe, which form the basis of decisions on asylum application by them and, in the absence of countervailing evidence submitted on behalf of the asylum seeker, also  by the courts of the Immigration Appellate Authority, have been slated as wildly out of date regarding last year’s events,and   inadequate in analysis, background knowledge and interpretation . This is the view of  Professor Terence Ranger,  a leading Zimbabwe expert recently returned  from teaching at  the University of Zimbawe.) Yet upon these decisions hang the lives of those returned, both high and low level opposition activists , who are deemed ‘bogus asylum seekers’.

Earlier this month a former Zimbabwe Airways employee, now an asylum seeker himself, described to ZA members  his familiarity with the immigration procedure and reception of returnees: His account, printed below, was validated when a few days later another returnee (not EM)  rang back  from a safe country to describe how he had been taken in handcuffs off the plane in Harare, and had them removed only once he and his UK papers had been handed to immigration officials inside Harare Airport police station. He had then escaped by asking to go to the toilet and fleeing through a window. A relative has since faxed a statement to the Zimbabwe Association verifying his escape and flight into hiding, arrived bruised and half undressed. With their help he is now believed to be relatively safe outside Zimbabwe. The ZA. expects further reports.

REMOVAL PROCEDURES

The passport of the deportee is put in an envelope addressed to the Chief Immigration Officer (Harare), together with a passenger list. These documents are taken to immigration before the passengers disembark. The CIO (Central Intelligence Organisation) at Harare see the passenger list in the Chief I.O.'s office before the passengers come into immigration. For deportees the passport will be with the Chief Immigration Officer (meaning that the CIO will have knowledge of the deportee). This results in the deportees being in a very vulnerable position. The CIO have an office at the airport, they watch arrivals and departures, they have free access to every office at the airport. The Chief Immigration Officer is also directed by the CIO.

We are increasingly worried about whether our deportees even get through the airport , considering the circumstances of their removal. Recent deportees (including Joseph Kanyere) have not reported back despite promising to let friends in the UK know what happened at the airport. If their Zim relatives think they are still detained in the UK no one will even know they are missing. Should we suppose they are still in no man's land? (UK removed them, Zimbabwe can't account for them?)

C. (ex-employee at Harare Airport)