Opinion Hunger in the land of plenty

applied for an asylum in April 2003 I was told not to engage in any employment nor anything that will generate any money. The home office pledged to support me by providing accommodation and a weekly allowance of £39.
My asylum was refused on the basis that I don’t really understand and yet the Home Office knows that I fled persecution from my home country Zimbabwe. With all the evidence to support my case they still refused me. I took my case to the highest level of home office appeal courts and I was still denied refugee status. Lastly I applied for a judicial review at the Royal Court of Justice to look at my case and I was happy that the high court found my case has merits and it does qualify for a judicial review. When the home office knew about my high court application, they became hostile to me by withdrawing all the benefits and ordering me to report to the home office every week. With no benefits it has become difficult for me to comply with the reporting conditions. Raising tube train money every week it’s a struggle for me as a non- working person. The whole situation it’s driving me to destitution. I tried to reason with them to relax my reporting times and they declined my request. Thank God I have a cousin who is accommodating me for free on humanitarian grounds as he aware about my situation back home. He is providing me with a roof above my head; I have no basis of asking transport money every week from him since already I am a burden to him and his family. I must appreciate that he never invited me to England to become a refugee in his house. Destitution can make anyone become a lawless person – just because you also need to live. I now begin to understand the behaviour of our street kids in Zimbabwe. They are so rude and at times they do crime in order to live. That is what is about to happen to me very soon. I believe the Secretary of the State in the Home Office is doing all this to frustrate me, hoping that eventually I will give up and go back home, but I do not give up easily. I had a purpose when I came here – to save my life. And that’s what I am going to do. To those who are in the same boat like me, I say keep fighting and let’s demonstrate to the Home Office and persuade them to give us the right us the right to work so that we can support ourselves and pay taxes. I know that we Zimbabweans are hard workers and we do not take pride in been fed. Benefits are meant for geriatrics and those who are not able to work for physical or medical reasons.
I am a healthy young person who is educated and who takes pride in my work like most Zimbabweans. I am now a graduate tramp because I do not have a choice.
I urge all the leaders of Zimbabwe organizations in UK to petition the Home Office to act on this matter. According to the statistics more than 18,000 Zimbabweans claimed asylum in this country and only about 400 were granted refugee status. Very few Zimbabweans are on NASS section 4. Where are the rest? Are all these remaining ones working or just suffering and sleeping like animals? I think I am not alone in this situation. If all Zimbabweans in UK would work together and do something about this. Sidubeke ekhaya njalo siphinde sidubeke e England madoda. Those who are willing to act on this issue please email me on lphiriuk@yahoo.co.uk.