Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Bill [HL]

My Lords, I will focus on a single issue which does not relate to the specific provisions of the Bill but falls among the issues that the noble Lord, Lord Avebury, referred to as missing from the Bill. I refer to the position of Zimbabwean refugees, who are prohibited from working. Having arrived in this country in 1965 as a refugee with no passport, I have a special and deep empathy with the Zimbabwean refugees and understand only too well their despair and desolation. There are 11,000 of these refugees, surviving on handouts and the charity of others, without a home or even a place of their own, with nothing to do all day but wait and wait for Mugabe and his henchmen to be replaced. They all desperately want to work, not only to earn sufficient to live on but also to remit part of their earnings to their families in Zimbabwe, the majority of whom are starving. Most of them have the skills to make a contribution to the economy of the country. Among their numbers, 15 per cent are teachers, 10 per cent are accountants and a further 10 per cent are health and social care workers. But the Home Office does not allow them to work. Because of this, they are deprived of the right to live with dignity and respect in this country, and they suffer terribly. In government—I do not mean only this Government—there is from time to time a lack of alignment between the policies of differing departments. The Home Office does not allow these 11,000 Zimbabwean refugees to work even though they are permitted to remain here until it is safe for them to return to Zimbabwe. At the same time, the Government, through DfID, are committed to making a significant contribution to the reconstruction of Zimbabwe when Mugabe and his henchmen are deposed. A key part of this contribution will be the training and upgrading of the skills of the population. If the 11,000 Zimbabwean refugees were allowed to gain experience and skills, upgraded where appropriate, by a scheme such as the one I will now describe, it would make a valuable contribution to DfID’s future work. The Southern African advanced education project was set up in 1986 to train South African exiles who, it was anticipated, would play an important role in building a new South Africa when apartheid was defeated. In addition to formal training, the trainees were placed in industry and central and local government, where they gained invaluable experience. Of the exiles who went through the programme, many became leading figures in politics, the public sector and business in South Africa when the African National Congress took over the government. Such an approach, aligning the policies of the Home Office with the future commitments of DfID, would be a constructive way of solving the inhuman plight of the 11,000 refugees who are obliged by government policies to sit around destitute all day, doing nothing. At the same time, they would be making a contribution to DfID’s future task. The noble Earl, Lord Sandwich, included in his eloquent speech a quotation from the Prime Minister. This approach is one which the Prime Minister might consider, together with the other solutions that he is looking for. On the world stage, the Government loudly condemn Mugabe, much to their credit, while often ignoring his victims on our doorstep. Luka Phiri is one of these victims. I met him last week; he is a Zimbabwean trade unionist and opposition activist, who was tortured by Mugabe’s henchmen and fled Zimbabwe. He had to resort to using a false Malawian passport in order to escape, and he came to the UK where he thought he would find sanctuary. The Home Office turned down Luka’s claim for refugee status, and he then faced a choice—to return to Zimbabwe and risk torture or even death, or stay here and face destitution. Like thousands of other Zimbabweans, Luka felt that he had no choice. Since that time, he has relied on the support of friends, the community and charities to survive. His story is like that of so many other Zimbabweans in this country—a story of destitution, not of dignity and respect. In early January, Luka was working with the Citizens for Sanctuary campaign, collecting some 500 CVs demonstrating the skills and experience that the Zimbabwean refugees could contribute if only they were allowed to work. Two days before the CVs were to be handed in at 10 Downing Street, Luka was detained. The Home Office tried to remove him to Malawi, despite clear evidence that he is a Zimbabwean and that the Malawian authorities would send him straight back to Zimbabwe. Thankfully, the intervention of lawyers, campaigners, two Labour MPs and some exposure in the Observer halted his removal. Will the Minister comment on the practice of removing Zimbabweans to Malawi, knowing that they will be sent to Zimbabwe? It is heartening to learn that more than 50 organisations—schools, universities, faith institutions and charities, as well as MPs and the media—have already pledged to join the Citizens for Sanctuary strategic internship scheme. It will give Zimbabweans additional skills and work experience, so that when democracy comes to Zimbabwe they will be equipped to return and rebuild their country. It is dependent for its success on the Government allowing Zimbabweans to work. Will the Government consider supporting the scheme and making provision for the issue of temporary work training permits enabling refugees to participate in it?