UK plans Zimbabwe asylum removals

Asylum, News — By on October 29, 2009 2:30 pm

The UK Home Office has announced it wants to resume the removal of failed Zimbabwean asylum seekers.

Immigration minister Phil Woolas said the ground was being cleared to start enforced returns “as and when the political situation develops”.

The BBC understands the UK Border Agency could start returns in the New Year, but no firm date has been set.

Some 24,000 Zimbabweans sought refuge in the UK between 1999 and 2008, but none have been removed since late 2006.

The news amounts to mixed signals coming from the British government following reports a few weeks ago that thousands of Zimbabwean asylum seekers would benefit from a relaxation of the rules.

Reports suggested there was a serious backlog and the authorities were keen to clear some of the so-called ‘legacy’ cases.

In the case of Zimbabwe previous rulings in the courts have deemed the country an unsafe destination to return failed asylum seekers to.

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