Britannia Radio

Smith warns of Zimbabwe 'influx'

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has warned the cabinet of a possible mass
influx of Zimbabweans to the UK amid the country's cholera outbreak.

She said some people were obtaining fake passports from neighbouring
countries where, unlike Zimbabwe, citizens do not need UK entry visas.

But Foreign Office sources have dismissed her words as alarmist, BBC
political editor Nick Robinson said.

The Zimbabwe crisis was creating "real tension in Whitehall", he added.

He said: "Some in the Foreign Office regard [talk of a possible influx
of refugees] as an attempt to justify tougher border controls to make it
even harder for refugees to make it to the UK from Zimbabwe.

Visa restrictions

"The Home Office wants to see the introduction of visa restrictions for
all countries in the region, the Foreign Office does not."

More than 700 people are said to have died in Zimbabwe's cholera
outbreak so far, prompting the British Red Cross to launch an emergency
aid appeal.

Ms Smith is thought to have told cabinet colleagues that people fleeing
Zimbabwe had bought false passports in countries such as South Africa
and Botswana.

But asked whether the situation in Zimbabwe could lead to a refugee
crisis in the UK, Foreign Office minister Lord Malloch Brown said: "I
think crisis is too strong a word for it.

"The home secretary has warned that we need to make sure we've got the
appropriate arrangements in place to stop illegal papers... being used
to enter the country.

"She wants to make sure that her border agency is properly prepared for
this.

"She briefed the cabinet on that way, prior to a longer discussion on
Zimbabwe."

Plan for worst

Currently, Zimbabweans arriving in the UK need a visa, while many
travelling from the rest of southern Africa do not.

Ms Smith wants that to change that, having been told that a growing
number of Zimbabweans are entering the UK using false papers.

Sources estimate there may be 60,000 Zimbabweans in the country
illegally.

The Home Office says the UK officially has 12,000 Zimbabwean asylum
seekers, 8,000 have been granted refugee status and there are 20,000
legitimate visitors.

A spokesman told the BBC it was assessing which countries should be
included when its visa regime was widened.

He added: "We will grant protection to those Zimbabweans that need it.
But it's crucial we don't let people abuse the system and take advantage
of this ongoing humanitarian crisis by pretending to be Zimbabwean or by
making false asylum claims."

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe said on Thursday that the cholera
outbreak had been contained.

However, the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs
said the toll from the disease had risen to 783 and that 16,403 people
were believed to have been infected.

Save the Children in Harare said these figures were an underestimate and
the epidemic was almost certainly worsening.

Launching its appeal to tackle the disease and address chronic food
shortages in southern Africa, the Red Cross said the situation could get
worse.

Delegate Matt Cochrane said: "We're right on the cusp of the rainy
season. That is typically when we see the first cases of cholera.

"Now we have an already serious situation and rain coming on top of
that. We have to hope for the best but we have to continue to plan for
the worst."

Donations will be used to supply community-based health, water,
sanitation and hygiene projects to help stop the spread of the disease
and pay for the delivery of aid and education.

To give to the British Red Cross appeal visit www.redcross. org.uk/zimbab
weregion or call 0845 054 7200.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news. bbc.co.uk/ go/pr/fr/ -/1/hi/uk_ politics/ 7778688.stm

Published: 2008/12/12 01:31:22 GMT