Dear Supporter 

We have almost 15000 signatures  on the eve of the planned deportation  flight.

We continue to receive support and coverage.

Zarah Sultana MP has given her support along with Cardiff Peoples Assembly and Racial Justice Network.

Diane Abbott MP who pledged her support at the start of this campaign has tabled Written Parliamentary Questions about the deportation flight.

Here is some of the recent news coverage:

https://twitter.com/RTUKnews/status/1417570001817587723?s=19

https://www.voice-online.co.uk/news/2021/07/19/planned-deportation-to-zimbabwe-angers-campaigners/

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/b/home-secretary-increasing-pressure-zimbabwe-deportation

https://www.mylondon.news/news/south-london-news/aspiring-footballer-faces-deportation-zimbabwe-21075912?utm_source=whatsapp&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sharebar

https://www.thecitizen.co.tz/tanzania/news/africa/uk-to-start-mass-deportation-of-zimbabweans-3479648

https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/people/sheffield-mps-join-calls-to-halt-inhumane-deportation-of-zimbabwean-asylum-seekers-3314670

Thank you to all the people who have sent us responses received from their MPs. Please accept our apologies for not having the capacity to reply to each one in person but know your efforts are appreciated by us and all the people and their families impacted.

We expect that the deportation flight will depart the UK late evening on Wednesday  21st of July. We are hopeful that legal challenges will succeed in removing people from the flight  but we can still keep up pressure by taking action up until the last minute.

Please follow @baracuk on twitter for updates as things develop.

Do continue to contact your MPs, you will find most on twitter so asking them to act in a tweet together with our hashtags would be appreciated:

#stoptheplane #Zimbabwe150 #ZimbabweanLivesMatter 

Tweet the organisations complicit in deportations and ask them to stop helping the Home Office to deport people.

@tuiuk

@British_Airways 

@titanairways

@my_CWT

@mitiesecurity

@balpapilots 

Tweet @ukhomeoffice to ask them to stop this flight.

You may wish to include a link to this announcement by UK government  earlier this year: 

UK announces first set of designations of individuals under the UK’s Zimbabwe sanctions regime for human rights violations.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-announces-sanctions-against-zimbabwe-security-chiefs

You could ask why in light of this they would be deporting people who are at risk of persecution. 

Alternatively  you could mention this, as anybody travelling from or transiting through Zimbabwe is not being permitted entry into the UK. Zimbawe is currently  in a full countrywide lockdown. But escorts will be accompanying those being deported who are not only chained to their seat from the waist down but also cuffed to two security guards on either side. Clearly this is not covid safety compliant. They risk an outbreak of covid on the plane and risk bringing covid back into the UK when the escorts return.

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/zimbabwe/coronavirus

Thank you for your efforts, actions and support.

Kind Regards 

Zita

Zita Holbourne 
National Chair of BARAC UK 

On behalf of the 9 organisations who initiated this petition.