Zimbabwe Mass Deportation on 21st July 2021: Urgent Action & MP template letter

BARAC UK together with 8 other migrant rights organisations  have today launched this petition against a planned deportation  of up to 150 people to Zimbabwe on 21st of July.

Stop the deportations to Zimbabwe

We are calling on our supporters to write urgently  to their MPs.

We have produced the template letter below for you to use:

 Email Subject: Stop the charter flight to Zimbabwe on 21st 2021

Dear [Member of Parliament],

I am writing as a constituent to ask that you urgently oppose the removal charter flight due to deport up to 150 people to Zimbabwe on 21st of July 2021. Mass deportation flights are a breach of human rights.

Amongst those targeted for deportation on this flight are people who have made their home in the UK for decades, who came to the UK as children, who are parents of British born and young children, who came to the UK fleeing persecution, including trade unionists, who if deported are in huge danger of losing their lives. 

There have been outbreaks of coronavirus in detention centres in recent months and those detained have reported a woeful and unacceptable lack of PPE and wider safety measures. People being deported are attached to guards, transported in packed vans, often handcuffed to escorts to airfields then are chained to their seats and to two guards. Given that black people have contracted and died of covid disproportionately, this is irresponsible to put people who are at high risk already in this position.

Tearing parents apart from loved ones including children is inhumane and causes distress and trauma to children with no regard for the human rights of children. 

The fast turnaround of deportations such as this one, leaves inadequate time to access legal advice and representation. 

Once deported, if they escape persecution, they will face destitution and trauma, impacting on physical and mental health.

I am also concerned that the Windrush Lessons Learned recommendations are yet to be implemented, a year since publication.  The report found the Home Office to be institutionally ignorant of racism.  It is irresponsible to target black people for deportation when no lessons have been learned.

 I am asking that you take urgent action, including writing to the Home Secretary calling for the flight to be cancelled and to call for an end to charter mass flight deportations. 

Regards,

[Your Name]

If you do not know who your MP is or their email address, you can find this information  here.

Thank you for your support.

Please forward any replies you receive to us: barac.info@gmail.com