Zimbabwe: Whether returning refugee claimants are detained and mistreated by government officials or agents upon their arrival in Harare

In January 2002, The Independent, a newspaper published in the United Kingdom (UK) stated that it had "learnt of at least 10 MDC [Movement for Democratic Change] members who have been deported from Britain to face torture, imprisonment or life underground as a political fugitive" (15 Jan. 2002). The article went on to describe the case of a factory worker and MDC activist from rural Zimbabwe, who

... fled to Britain in early 2000 after being attacked by ZANU-PF militias and beaten by CIO [Central Intelligence Organisation] officers.

He was returned to Harare last summer [2001], rearrested by the CIO and tortured for two weeks before escaping and fleeing to an undisclosed North African country (ibid.).

The article concluded by stating that according to the British Zimbabwe Association (BZA), "at least six MDC activists had been caught and tortured by the CIO after returning from Britain" (ibid.).

The Observer, another UK newspaper, reported on the case of Gerald Muketiwa, a youth organizer for the MDC who fled to Britain, but was deported back to Zimbabwe (30 Dec. 2001; 13 Jan. 2002a; 13 Jan. 2002b). Mr. Muketiwa was deported on 16 Dec. 2001, and was picked up by members of the CIO at the Harare airport (ibid. 13 Jan. 2002a; The Guardian 2 Jan. 2002). He was taken to a police station where he was interrogated (The Observer 13 Jan. 2002b) and beaten (ibid.; ibid. 30 Dec. 2001). After being allowed to go to the bathroom (ibid. 13 Jan. 2002a), he squeezed through a small window and escaped (ibid.; ibid. 30 Dec. 2001). According to one article in The Observer, Mr. Muketiwa "turned up at a relative's house in the southern city of Bulawayo bleeding and bruised, and wearing only shorts" (ibid.). Currently, he is living in hiding in South Africa (ibid. 13 Jan 2002b).

On 15 January 2002, the Home Office in England issued a statement in which it announced the suspension of the removal of failed asylum seekers to Zimbabwe until after the March presidential elections (UK 15 Jan. 2002). According to the statement, the Home Office would "continue to monitor the situation closely" and would "continue to assess each asylum claim made by those from Zimbabwe on its merits" (ibid.). The statement concluded with the following:

Equally I/we must recognise that the vast majority of those who have come to the UK from Zimbabwe over recent years do not have valid claims to asylum. Many claim to be MDC activists when they are manifestly not. A substantial number of those eligible for removal arrived well before the recent deterioration in circumstances, and failed asylum seekers have only been removed if independent adjudicators have rejected their asylum appeals (ibid.).

Information on whether a review of the situation in Zimbabwe was conducted by the UK after the presidential elections, and information on whether the UK has lifted the suspension of deportations to Zimbabwe could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

The CIO reportedly monitors all incoming flights from London and scrutinizes passenger lists, which are provided to the Zimbabwean authorities prior to landing (The Observer 13 Jan. 2002a; The Independent 15 Jan. 2002).

UK newspapers have also reported allegations that Zimbabwean authorities have infiltrated asylum centres in Britain (ibid.; The Observer 13 Jan. 2002a; ibid. 13 Jan. 2002c; ibid. 13 Jan. 2002d). According to The Observer,

[d]etainees who spoke to The Observer said CIO agents came to Britain to claim asylum knowing full well that they will be detained and enter the detention system. They said the spies have been known to pass information to the Zimbabwean embassy and threaten dissidents with reprisals should they return home (13 Jan. 2002a).

One detainee stated the following,

The detention centres expose us to Zimbabwe government secret agencies, who are gaining access to these centres so they can take our detailed credentials to the Zimbabwean Authorities. Prolonged stays in the centres are posing unforeseen dangers to our lives (ibid. 13 Jan. 2002d).

In late January 2002, Canada "added Zimbabwe to the list of countries to which deportations will no longer be made" (CBC 30 Jan. 2002). According to one article, this decision was taken "after a woman and her child took refugee in a Montreal church to hide from immigration officials" (ANANOVA 31 Jan. 2002). Dorothy Dube claimed that she had been raped by "Zimbabwean government thugs" and "faced death for political dissent" (ibid.).

Reports of mistreatment of returning refugee claimants in Zimbabwe by government officials between February and October 2002 could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

It should be noted however that the Zimbabwean Parliament adopted the Public Order and Security Bill in January 2002 , which "makes it an imprisonable offence to undermine the authority of President Mugabe by making or publishing hostile statements (UK Apr. 2002, sec. 3.70). Through this and other legislation, "[t]he Government restricts the freedom of speech of its opponents and those making public comments critical of President Mugabe" (ibid., sec. 5.6).

Also in January 2002, the Parliament adopted the Access to Information and Privacy Act, which "bar[s] foreign journalists from working in Zimbabwe except for short periods to cover specific events and compel[s] local journalists to apply for a one-year renewable licence issued by the government-appointed Statutory Media Commission or face two years in prison" (ibid., sec. 5.21).

In September 2002, The Observerreported that the British government had decided to begin extradition proceedings against an MDC member who claims that he had been tortured by the CIO, and whose wife has already been granted asylum in Britain due to her involvement with the MDC (1 Sept. 2002).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

ANANOVA. 31 January 2002. "Canada Halts Deportations to Zimbabwe." [Accessed 11 Oct. 2002]

CBC. 30 January 2002. "Canada Suspends Deportations to Zimbabwe."

The Guardian [Manchester]. 11 January 2002. Chris McGreal and Andrew Meldrum. "Mugabe Declares War on Dissent." [Accessed 11 Oct. 2002]

_____. 2 January 2002. David Pallister. "Ministers Urged to Halt Deportations." [Accessed 9 Oct. 2002]

The Independent [London]. 15 January 2002. Cahal Milmo and Basildon Peta. "Zimbabwe Crisis: Behind the Wire are People Fleeing Terror. We Send Them Back to Face Torture, Jail or a Life on the Run." (NEXIS)

The Observer [Manchester]. 1 September 2002. Martin Bright. "Blunkett Backs Bid to Expel Mugabe Victim." [Accessed 10 Oct. 2002]

_____. 13 January 2002a. Paul Harris and Martin Bright. "They Flee Here for Safety But Are Sent Back to Face Death." [Accessed 10 Oct. 2002]

_____. 13 January 2003b. Martin Bright. "How Britain Handed Me Back to Mugabe's Men." [Accessed 10 Oct. 2002]

_____. 13 January 2002c. Martin Bright, Paul Harris and Andrew Meldrum. "Britain in Dock Over Expulsions." [Accessed 9 Sept. 2002]

_____. 13 January 2002d. Martin Bright. "They Are Spying On Us in Detention Here." [Accessed 10 Oct. 2002]

_____. 30 December 2001. Paul Harris. "Mugabe Regime Tortures Activist Deported by UK." [Accessed 10 Oct. 2002]

United Kingdom. Home Office. April 2002. Zimbabwe Assessment. [Accessed 10 Oct. 2002]

_____. Home Office. 15 January 2002. "Statement: Home Secretary Suspends Removals to Zimbabwe." [Accessed 10 Oct. 2002]

Additional Sources Consulted

LEXIS/NEXIS

Internet sites, including:

Amani Trust.

Canada. Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

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Google.