News / Africa
Botswana to turn away Zim asylum seekers
22 Jul 2014 at 15:15hrs | Views
Botswana is planning to reject applications for refugee status by Zimbabweans in future, claiming the political situation in Zimbabwe has improved from what it was in 2008 when scores of people fled political violence to neighbouring countries.
Botswana's Sunday Standard reported that the neighbouring country is moving towards rejecting political asylum applications from Zimbabweans.
The neighbouring nation claims the Zimbabwean political landscape has normalised and is now conducive when compared to the violent political crisis of 2008 that led to many people fleeing the country.
Botswana's Minister of Defence, Justice and Security, Ramadeluka Seretse was quoted as saying his government will no longer grant political asylum to Zimbabweans, as the political environment had improved and it was now safer for the asylum seekers to go back home.
"In future we will see a situation when Zimbabweans will not be granted refugee status," he said.
He said most Zimbabweans were given asylum status during the country's political crisis.
Asked if the economic status of Zimbabwean asylum seekers could not work in their favour, Seretse said there is no chance of that happening. He said currently Botswana only grants refugee status based on the applicant's political situation.
"Botswana does not consider the economic situation as a criterion to grant an individual asylum status," said Seretse.
It was also reported Botswana intends to repatriate more than 200 Zimbabwean refugees.
Most of the refugees from Zimbabwe have asked the government of Botswana to absorb them instead of sending them back to Zimbabwe after expressing fears that their lives are still in danger.
A number of refugees were accepted in Botswana in 2008 when Zimbabwe had an escalation of political violence which reportedly claimed more than 200 lives of members of the opposition MDC-T ahead of the much disputed presidential run-off elections.
Following claims that President Robert Mugabe had launched a campaign of terror against the opposition party, most people fled Zimbabwe.
It was alleged that state sponsored violence had resulted in massive human rights violations including torture and forced disappearance.
Botswana's Sunday Standard reported that the neighbouring country is moving towards rejecting political asylum applications from Zimbabweans.
The neighbouring nation claims the Zimbabwean political landscape has normalised and is now conducive when compared to the violent political crisis of 2008 that led to many people fleeing the country.
Botswana's Minister of Defence, Justice and Security, Ramadeluka Seretse was quoted as saying his government will no longer grant political asylum to Zimbabweans, as the political environment had improved and it was now safer for the asylum seekers to go back home.
"In future we will see a situation when Zimbabweans will not be granted refugee status," he said.
He said most Zimbabweans were given asylum status during the country's political crisis.
Asked if the economic status of Zimbabwean asylum seekers could not work in their favour, Seretse said there is no chance of that happening. He said currently Botswana only grants refugee status based on the applicant's political situation.
"Botswana does not consider the economic situation as a criterion to grant an individual asylum status," said Seretse.
It was also reported Botswana intends to repatriate more than 200 Zimbabwean refugees.
Most of the refugees from Zimbabwe have asked the government of Botswana to absorb them instead of sending them back to Zimbabwe after expressing fears that their lives are still in danger.
A number of refugees were accepted in Botswana in 2008 when Zimbabwe had an escalation of political violence which reportedly claimed more than 200 lives of members of the opposition MDC-T ahead of the much disputed presidential run-off elections.
Following claims that President Robert Mugabe had launched a campaign of terror against the opposition party, most people fled Zimbabwe.
It was alleged that state sponsored violence had resulted in massive human rights violations including torture and forced disappearance.
Source - radiodialogue