The ongoing Leicester campaign to prevent the deportation of Evenia Mawongera to Zimbabwe has continued since she was released from detention on 16th July. Evenia (55) has been living in Leicester with her daughters and grandchildren, all of whom are British citizens, for close to 10 years. She is a Leicester City of Sanctuary drop-in user and is one of our quilt makers. The Home Office wants to remove her to Zimbabwe where she is at risk of arrest, persecution and extremely serious ill-treatment. Campaigners from Civic Leicester and the Zimbabwe Association have tirelessly collected signatures from passers by in the Town Hall square (now over 3,000) where there is an “Evenia must stay” tree and have accompanied her to the East Midlands Reporting Centre each week. The local newspaper, Leicester Mercury have reported weekly and Radio Leicester and BBC East Midlands has also covered the story. Evenia and her family have received support from across Leicester and Evenia has been nominated for the Leicester Mercury and East Midlands Housing Group Good Neighbour Awards 2013. To stay up to date with this campaign see the Facebook page . We are proud of Leicester’s support, wish Evenia and her campaigners well and hope that the Home Office will do the right thing and not send Evenia back to inevitable suffering. Supporters can also sign the on-line petition to the Home Office here.
