A total of 209 Zimbabweans are being held in prisons and immigration removal centres in the United Kingdom, the government there has revealed.
The revelations were made in the House of Lords when Baroness Sayeeda HussainWarsi asked a minister how many foreign nationals are held in detention centres or prisons.
In reply, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office, Lord West of Spithead said: “We announced in a written Ministerial Statement on October 29, 2009, that we are looking to normalise our returns policy to Zimbabwe progressively as and when the political situation develops.
“According to latest HM Prison Service figures as at December 18, 2009, there were 209 Zimbabwean nationals in prisons including those in the immigration removal centres Dover, Haslar and Lindholme.
“The 209 includes those held on remand, serving custodial sentences or held under the Immigration Act 1971.”
Deportations to Zimbabwe were suspended because of adverse human rights conditions but since a coalition government was put in place the government is considering resuming them.
Campaigners insist the deportations should remain on hold because the coalition government is fragile and dominated by Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party who continue blocking genuine reforms.
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