Detention Watch from Zimbabwe Association (14-12-06)

ffice:smarttags” />LONDON – In recent weeks readers may have seen news coverage of serious disturbances at Harmondsworth detention centre. As a result, many detainees have now been dispersed round other centres. The disturbance seems to have been sparked by guards turning off TVs when detainees were listening to the news reports about the HM Inspector of Prisons “worst ever” report on a detention centre (Harmondsworth). At the time of the trouble the ZA knew of no Zimbabwean detainees at that centre.

The number of Zimbabwean asylum seekers still in detention is very small. We are happy to learn that a few other detainees have been released recently. Please help keep detention centres clear of as many Zimbabweans as possible by staying legal, avoiding fights and disputes over the festive season, and realising the dangers of travelling by car at this time of year, especially if you are subject to immigration restrictions.

Letters arriving at the ZA Office from Zimbabwean prisoners are a welcome development. Instances of people being wrongfully imprisoned have come to our attention and we are pleased to have the chance to make sure that prisoners have competent legal representation and that any miscarriages of justice are addressed.

An interesting meeting at the Refugee Council at the beginning of December focused on the issue of campaigning by refugee community organisations. Expert guidance ensured that we all learned a lot about different aspects of campaigning. Positive links were made with other communities and we hope to be supporting the Ethiopian community in their regular vigils outside the Home Office before too long. There is a perception among many people that Zimbabweans only campaign for their own issues and do not support other groups or communities. We should like to change this perception by showing that Zimbabweans are capable of thinking about, supporting and caring for others.

Figures during the year for asylum applications from Zimbabweans have seen a steady drop from the first quarter of 2006 in which Zimbabwe topped the list with 755 applicants, to 365 applications in the second quarter. This dropped still further to 280 applications in the third quarter, leaving us with a total of 1400 applications for 2006 so far.

The ZA will be closing its office over the Christmas period from 15 December to 8 January. We should also like to take the opportunity to wish our members and our readers a very Happy Christmas, and the hope that 2007 is a better year for everyone.

We can usually be contacted at the office on 020 7549 0355 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, messages may be left on the answer machine at other times, or by fax 020 7549 0356 or email: zimbabweassociation@yahoo.co.uk. We also have a website at www.zimbabweassociation.org