Phil Woolas is wrong on Zimbabwe

Immigration Minister Phil Woolas has announced that the Home Office will begin removing 10,000 failed asylum seekers from Zimbabwe, according to Alan Travis in the Guardian.

Repatriation packages worth up to £6,000 will also be offered to failed asylum seekers to go home voluntarily.

Woolas commented on the Home Office Website: "The situation in Zimbabwe is improving under the Inclusive Government, and we will be looking to normalise our returns policy progressively as and when the political situation develops".

Is this the same Zimbabwe where President Mugabe's Zanu-PF has been accused of attacking Movement for Democratic Change spokespeople, where two Zimbabwe Election Support Network staff members can be arrested for "conducting a meeting without first seeking police clearance" and where there are still concerns over lack of press freedom?

Recently, the United Nations' torture investigator was refused entry to Zimbabwe, telling the BBC "I have never in any other country been treated in such a manner."

Amnesty International Africa Programme Director Erwin van der Borght said: "Dozens of human rights and MDC activists are on trial for simply exercising their internationally recognised rights, including the rights to freedom of association, peaceful assembly and expression. Some of these people were victims of enforced disappearance in 2008."

Zimbabwe is still a dangerous place. The forced removal of asylum seekers needs to be opposed by people across the political spectrum.

I would note that the Left are vocal about the Middle East, with Sussex University's student union voting to boycott Israeli produce in Union stores, but mostly silent on Zimbabwe.

It has been left to the Right and moderates in Britain to speak out against Mugabe. This must change.