Zimbwean Ex British Citizen requires letter from Zim Govt

[swob]

I am not sure if anyone can help - but it is worth a try. My mother is an ex British Citizen forced to renounce her citizenship by the Zimbwean govt. She is now re-applying for her citizenship, which is she is entitled to having renounced once.
However, the Home Office have said that they require a letter from the Zimbabwe Authorities stating why she was forced to renounce. I have spoken to the Zimbabwe High Commission in London and they have refused to provide any such letter, stating that renounciation of British Citizenship is a statute of Zimbwabean law and should be respected as such by the British government.
This one thing has caused my mother's application to fail.
Has anyone had a similar problem? If so - how was it resolved? The Home Office just don't seem to want to know.
As a British Citizen living in England, would I be able to get her over on a right of abode?
Any advice much appreciated!

[VictoriaS]

Get a copy of the statute. The Home Office should accept this.

If not, then we need to look at the dependent relative rules instead.

Victoria

[JAJ]

I am not sure if anyone can help - but it is worth a try. My mother is an ex British Citizen forced to renounce her citizenship by the Zimbwean govt. She is now re-applying for her citizenship, which is she is entitled to having renounced once.
However, the Home Office have said that they require a letter from the Zimbabwe Authorities stating why she was forced to renounce. I have spoken to the Zimbabwe High Commission in London and they have refused to provide any such letter, stating that renounciation of British Citizenship is a statute of Zimbwabean law and should be respected as such by the British government.
This one thing has caused my mother's application to fail.
Has anyone had a similar problem? If so - how was it resolved? The Home Office just don't seem to want to know.

The Home Office ought to be very familiar with the situation in Zimbabwe which has been well documented. 160 resumptions of this type were processed during 2006 so they have plenty of cases on file.

And a phone call to British Embassy in Harare should resolve any doubts that they may have.

To clarify: has her application been formally refused or is it still under consideration? (if the former, they may have acted illegally by not following their own procedures).

You should be aware that even if there is no entitlement (although in this case there is), there is scope for discretionary resumption and they would have to consider this.

Chapter 17 of the Nationality Instructions is worth a look:
http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/nichapter17/

Also the following links:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/africa/2806913.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/1246141.stm
http://www.zimbabweembassy-uk.com/Consular.htm
http://web.archive.org/web/200212082256 ... mbabwe.htm

If the Home Office caseworker refuses to pay any attention to these resources then your mother's case needs attention at a more senior level and you should urgently contact your Member of Parliament.

[Fairtrade]

I thought the British Embassy in Harare is getting ready to flying out the last remaining British citizens in Zimbabwe. The Home Office ought to know about this pathetic situation...

[swob]

Get a copy of the statute. The Home Office should accept this.

If not, then we need to look at the dependent relative rules instead.

Victoria

Victoria,
We sent a copy of the statute with the initial application, along with a written statement from my mother explaining why she had to sign, and that it was signed under duress.
I have since spoken to an immigration advisor about the possibility of Right of Abode and their response was that when she signed the renunciation she renounced ALL rights to British Citizenship and Right of abode.

Jaj -I have been told that we have to resubmit her application (we intially had Home Office agreement for me to submit the application here on her behalf becuase of the breakdown of the Zimbabwe postal service, and her inability to get to Harare to submit it personally, but they have gone back on that agreement and I am going to have to fly to Harare to submit it now), but that when we resubmit we have to have this letter, otherwise it will be refused.
Thanks for the links. I will look at those - and I think a visit to my MP will now be on the cards. Thanks.

[penanglad]

Have you spoken directly to the British Embassy in Harare? They will be familiar with the situation and will be able to tell you what the best course to take is.

[JAJ]

Jaj -I have been told that we have to resubmit her application (we intially had Home Office agreement for me to submit the application here on her behalf becuase of the breakdown of the Zimbabwe postal service, and her inability to get to Harare to submit it personally, but they have gone back on that agreement and I am going to have to fly to Harare to submit it now), but that when we resubmit we have to have this letter, otherwise it will be refused.
Thanks for the links. I will look at those - and I think a visit to my MP will now be on the cards. Thanks.

There can be little doubt that she renounced her British citizenship to retain Zimbabwe citizenship. Hence she has an entitlement to registration as a British citizen and the Home Office do not have the right to refuse.

Section 13 of the British Nationality Act only makes reference to the reason for renouncing British citizenship. The statute does not demand a "letter". Those links can be given to the Home Office if they are incapable of looking at their own files or calling the British Embassy in Harare.

Get your Member of Parliament onto the case. They should re-open the existing file if they have acted illegally (as it appears they have), from memory Chapter 6 of the Nationality Instructions has details.