A number of airline pilots have refused to take off when failed asylum seekers have created a scene on board to draw attention to their plight. Women have been known to strip naked. Some immigration lawyers have encouraged this ploy.
The Zimbabwe Vigil knows of incidents when security guards employed by the UK Border Agency have manhandled deportees to keep them quiet, causing injuries. One woman who succeeded in being taken off a flight came to the Vigil still limping several months after such an incident.
As pressure grows on the UK Border Agency to curb immigration, and mounting parliamentary criticism of their performance, more and more Zimbabweans are being picked up for deportation despite clear evidence of growing political violence as Mugabe prepares to bludgeon his way to another election victory within the next few months.
Vigil supporter Chipo Hazel Tafirenyika, who was deported on Thursday night, asserts that UKBA security guards threatened her with sedation if she caused any trouble when she was put on the plane.
Info for asylum seekers
If you get detained (and do not have a legal representative) put your name down for an appointment with a legal aid lawyer as soon as possible. There will be a booking system, probably in the detention centre library. Each detention centre has legal aid firms contracted to provide legal help. These are objective legal professionals. If you are already using a legal aid lawyer when you are detained you should be allowed to continue with them. Using a private lawyer can be a problem because if relatives are not able to raise the money required the private lawyer will not be able to act for you and may drop your case at the last minute.
If you are given an appointment with a legal aid lawyer that is after the date of your flight then tell the Immigration Officer and ask for an earlier date. Get them to prioritise your case.
If a legal aid lawyer says your case has no merit ask them to put their reasons in writing.
If you are not in detention don’t just submit a fresh claim to try to protect yourself. You have to build up your case and prepare all possible documentation.
If possible: Scan all your evidence. Put Reasons for Refusal letter in one document. Put Immigration Judge Determination in another document. Put Application for Fresh claim in another document. Put all supporting letters together in another document. Put all press stories in another document.
Keep a version of your evidence electronically and make sure that a trusted friend or relative can access and produce these documents if / when you are detained. – for more info: www.zimbabweassociation.org.uk
Post published in: World News