News / International
UK Border Agency fails to deport Zimvigil activist
22 Jul 2011 at 06:15hrs | Views
Failed asylum seeker and Zimvigil supporter Josephine Chari of Southend who was been detained by the UK Border Agency and told she has been booked on Kenyan Airways KQ101 to Nairobi leaving Heathrow at 20.00 on Thursday 21st July was saved at the last minute just before being hauled into a Kenyan Airways plane, for deportation to Zimbabwe.
This followed a fierce campaign involving UK lawmakers launched by a London activist together with the Zim Vigil charity organisation.
It is not yet clear the full reason for the miraculous reversal of deportation but Josephine Chari will not be deported and it was claimed her lawyer late Thursday had begun proceedings to challenge any other future deportation by the United Kingdom Border Agency.
"She is no longer going now, and she is happy. Her ticket has been cancelled," announced one activist.
Earlier on Zimbabweans had held their breaths Thursday all afternoon, as they bombarded Kenyan airways' telephone lines campaigning for the airline to cancel her ticket. An email sent out at 3Pm Thursday titled – Josephine Chari to face automatic death penalty in Zimbabwe, read:
"We have just heard that Josephine Chari is at Heathrow to catch Kenyan Airways Flight KQ101 to Nairobi leaving Heathrow at 20.00 tonight. UKBA has refused her lawyer's representation. The lawyer is now working on a judicial review. She says there is not time to lodge the review in person and the court won't accept it by fax so she is calling the judge at 5pm to ask for an emergency injunction to stop the removal but she is not hopeful,"
However Chari's fate was miraculously reversed as it was announced she would not be travelling anymore. She was said to be preparing her papers before leaving the airport at the time of writing.
Credit: Photo by Jeremy Selwyne
This followed a fierce campaign involving UK lawmakers launched by a London activist together with the Zim Vigil charity organisation.
It is not yet clear the full reason for the miraculous reversal of deportation but Josephine Chari will not be deported and it was claimed her lawyer late Thursday had begun proceedings to challenge any other future deportation by the United Kingdom Border Agency.
"She is no longer going now, and she is happy. Her ticket has been cancelled," announced one activist.
Earlier on Zimbabweans had held their breaths Thursday all afternoon, as they bombarded Kenyan airways' telephone lines campaigning for the airline to cancel her ticket. An email sent out at 3Pm Thursday titled – Josephine Chari to face automatic death penalty in Zimbabwe, read:
"We have just heard that Josephine Chari is at Heathrow to catch Kenyan Airways Flight KQ101 to Nairobi leaving Heathrow at 20.00 tonight. UKBA has refused her lawyer's representation. The lawyer is now working on a judicial review. She says there is not time to lodge the review in person and the court won't accept it by fax so she is calling the judge at 5pm to ask for an emergency injunction to stop the removal but she is not hopeful,"
However Chari's fate was miraculously reversed as it was announced she would not be travelling anymore. She was said to be preparing her papers before leaving the airport at the time of writing.
Credit: Photo by Jeremy Selwyne
Source - Byo24News
