BRITAIN: Britain would consider halting its policy of deporting failed asylum-seekers back to Zimbabwe if the situation there deteriorated further, a Home Office official said yesterday, writes Rachel Donnelly, in London.
The British government is closely monitoring developments in Zimbabwe in the run-up to the presidential election in March, which President Robert Mugabe is almost certain to win.
The atmosphere in the country is becoming increasingly volatile and last week Mr Mugabe guided legislation through the Zimbabwean parliament banning foreign journalists and imposing further restrictions on freedom of speech.
But following an investigation into the plight of Zimbabwean asylum-seekers refused refugee status in Britain, yesterday's Observer newspaper revealed that many who had links to the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), had been arrested, attacked or had disappeared on their return.
In some cases, the Observer report claimed, President Mugabe's secret police were searching for the returned asylum-seekers and had "infiltrated" detention centres in Britain where Zimbabweans were being held.
A Home Office official acknowledged that "we can't categorically say that someone has not been ill-treated on return" to Zimbabwe, but insisted it was "sometimes a very hard decision" to deport an asylum-seeker.
"The UK is aware the situation in Zimbabwe has deteriorated and if the situation deteriorated enough ceasing deportations is something we would consider," he said.
Last week a Zimbabwean political dissident was being deported from Britain despite his claim of facing "anything between torture and death" upon his return. The BBC claimed at least 20 other people have been sent back to Zimbabwe since December 22nd.
Declan Walsh adds:
President Mugabe accused Britain of being at "war" with Zimbabwe as he arrived in Malawi to seek support from his worried southern African neighbours at a meeting today.
"Britain has a war with us, Blair wants his own version of colonialism in Zimbabwe and we will resist that," he said before a special conference of the 14-country Southern African Development Community (SADC).
Meanwhile, in Zimbabwe the Commercial Farmers Union reported that another 23 white families had been violently forced from their homes in the last week.
The SADC meeting was called to discuss the Congo war but analysts said it was likely to be dominated by backroom talks on Zimbabwe. Many of the SADC leaders fought liberation wars against white oppressors and have been reticent to criticise President Mugabe.
However, repressive new laws combined with an army statement threatening the opposition saw several countries join with international expressions of concern about the deteriorating situation.
A spokesman for South Africa said "the situation is not acceptable to us". That position appeared to have softened yesterday when the Deputy Foreign Minister, Mr Aziz Pahad, told reporters that "quiet diplomacy" was the way to resolve the crisis.
The European Union has threatened to impose sanctions, possibly from the end of this month. EU officials secured an undertaking on Friday that international observers will be allowed to witness -- but not monitor -- the elections on March 9th-10th.
The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, and the South Africa President, Mr Thabo Mbeki, discussed the crisis by telephone before yesterday's SADC conference, officials said.
"I don't think we are going to get the kind of strong statement suggesting that Mugabe is now totally isolated in the region, which he is," a Zimbabwean political analyst, Mr Brian Raftopoulos, said.