Zim Vigil activist granted last minute reprieve from deportation
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Shamiso Kofi
By Alex Bell
21 October 2011
An active member of the London based protest group, the Zimbabwe Vigil, who was facing being deported from the UK this week, was on Thursday night granted a last minute reprieve.
Shamiso Kofi, also known as Caroline Shamiso Tagarira, was meant to be deported on a Virgin Airways flight out of London on Thursday, but her lawyer managed to stop the deportation order less than five hours before her scheduled removal. She is still being held at the Yarls Wood detention centre but her lawyer is working to have her released.
Shamiso was arrested and detained by UK immigration officials who originally tried to deport her last month. She was put on a Kenyan Airways flight out of London, but she put up such a fight that the pilot refused to take her. She was removed from the plane and has remained in detention ever since.
A public protest was then launched to stop her deportation, with the Vigil arguing that she could be at risk in Zimbabwean because she is a recognisable anti-Mugabe activist. The group also raised fears about her state of mind and well being, with Shamiso stating that she “feels like dying” over the prospect of being returned to Zimbabwe.
Meanwhile Shamiso’s lawyer Mark Taylor has strongly criticised the behaviour of the UK Border Agency (UKBA), accusing them of dismissing key evidence in individual cases to the detriment on individuals like Shamiso. He said that Shamiso’s case “has demonstrated how culturally inflexible the UKBA can be.”
“The cynicism, negativity and distinct lack of humanity demonstrated by some (and I again stress not all) UKBA officials has resulted in their losing any sense of perspective,” Taylor wrote on Friday.
Article source: http://www.swradioafrica.com/2011/10/21/zim-vigil-activist-granted-last-minute-reprieve-from-deportation/
