UK appeals against 4000 cases of Zimbabwean asylum seekers

The UK Border Agency, which is now fighting to deport Zimbabweans who have failed to get asylum in Britain, has appealed against 4 269 cases of Zimbabweans facing deportation over the past two years, Immigration Minister Damien Green said this week.

He told the House of Commons that the agency appealed against 2 639 cases in the financial year 2009-10 and 1,630 in financial year 2010-11.

“Figures include cases where the UK Border Agency has sought permission to appeal a decision made at an immigration tribunal. Data are based on the date permission to appeal was sought. Figures include both asylum, temporary and permanent migration case,” he said.

Green gave the Border Agency the go-ahead to deport failed Zimbabwean asylum seekers in October last year and the Immigration and Asylum Chamber endorsed the decision in March.

He told the House in April that Britain had not started forced evictions of failed Zimbabwean asylum seekers yet but 1 006 Zimbabweans had returned home voluntarily since 2008.

About 3 000 Zimbabweans have failed to get asylum and have exhausted all avenues of appeal. It is believed that there are about 10 000 Zimbabwean asylum seekers in the United Kingdom.

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