The UK Border Agency recently released a statement stating that they were going to resume enforced returns of failed asylum seekers. The deportation of Zimbabwean nationals was suspended in 2006 but for some reason the UKBA now feels that it is safe for failed asylum seekers to return home. Understandably so, there are thousands of Zimbabweans in the UK who are not happy with the decision and are in a state of worry.
One force that may have aided in the UKBA making such a decision may have been Mr. Morgan Tsvangirai’s 2009 plea to Zimbabweans in the UK to return home. That statement put people in a precarious position and they did not take too kindly to that and he was heckled and booed with the response being Mugabe should go before that happens. Another reason may be the formation of Unity Government which the Brits must see as working well for them to come up with such a decision. Of late, it has become more apparent that the GPA is not working as hoped and that Mugabe and Zanu PF are still running the show.
The resumption of deportations was bound to reach this point because the UK does not want foreigners in their land. New Immigration laws are constantly being put in place and some see these actions as a way of reducing migrant numbers and getting more Brits to work. Other see them as hidden racist tendencies aimed at reducing the number of migrants. You may disagree with that statement and say racism is restricted to a small portion of the population but that is not the case. A lot of people would rather not have foreign nationals in their country but are not vocal about it. What more for foreigners who come from a nation whose president openly criticises the West and doesn’t bow to their pressure?
If the UK can find the slightest excuse to get people out of their country without breaking any human rights acts they will take them. This seems to be what is happening and now many Zimbabweans may be faced with the decision of either returning home voluntarily or taking their chances and maybe be deported at one point or another.
As a Zimbabwean, living in London, your article saddens me. There are wildly inaccurate and inflammatory accusations in your article and the ignorant generalisations you have made reveal a deep lack of knowledge on the subject you are writing about.
Where is your evidence that the UK does not want foreigners in their land?
Where is your evidence that the UK is a racist country?
This article does nothing to endear the plight of so Zimbabweans in the UK to the British public and if anything, they might just conclude that people in glass houses should not throw stones.
did u really ask what proof does the author have of the UK being a racist country? did u happen to sleep through the SLAVERY lessons in school? how about neo-colonization? aparteid? their part in the way africa is divided up without consideration to ethicicity? blood diamonds?
Yes I did ask.
Slavery, neo – colonisation, aparteid etc have nothing to do with the current immigration policy of the UK, which is what the article deals with.
By your reasoning then, the entire Western world is racist?