The fact that refugees from Zimbabwe are now being sent back to the “safety” of Mugabe’s oppressive regime is scandalous.The fast-track system is now to be extended, denying appellants the chance to obtain the documents they need from home to support their case. The drastic cuts in legal aid mean that most destitute detainees have no chance to find a lawyer. Not content with the rush to deport desperate people, the plan now is to detain even more – including children – and finally to remove the security of refugee status, leaving refugees in a further limbo for five years. When can we expect politicians to observe our moral obligations to asylum seekers and ignore the distorted propaganda of the tabloids?HELEN KIMBLE OxfordSir: Joanna Vallely’s emotional response to the plight of west African refugees struggling to reach Europe (letter, 10 February), is understandable; but blaming Britain for propping up dictators and ruining African economies is a distortion.In 2007 Ghana will celebrate 50 years of “freedom and justice”. Independence followed for Nigeria in 1960 and Sierra Leone in 1961. All had leaders who had come to power through democratic elections organised by the departing British colonialists.
Peace reigned and in Sierra Leone there was only one political prisoner at independence and he was given a bottle of whisky to celebrate. All the west African states had viable economiesWithin a few years the Nigerian premier had been slaughtered by his troops and a rash of coups spread to all four former colonies. Economies nosedived as spending on the infrastructure was strangled by corruption and the jails filled with those political prisoners who hadn’t fled into exile.A misinformed sense of guilt should not be used as the basis of an immigration policy but rather we should adopt the rules which the African countries have used to good effect themselves to prevent recolonisation. All who seek to enter must have a job to go to which a local cannot fill and arrive with a return ticket provided by their prospective employer. The direct attempts to slow the wave of immigrants must indeed be matched by action on debt relief and fairer access to our markets .JOHN TRICKS Crediton, DevonSir: I congratulate The Independent on its willingness to ignore the tidal wave of opinion against refugees and instead highlight the lives of those who are forced to leave their countries.
The present culture of hostility towards refugees should be extremely disturbing for a nation that fought against Nazism.Long before the Holocaust, the Nazis created a culture where it was acceptable to scapegoat Jews, saying that they were taking jobs and benefits, were causing health problems and were responsible for crime. Yet similar accusations are being made now by both media and politicians, with no thoughts for the long-term consequences.NICK BUXTON London SW2 Dumped pheasants Sir: The editor of Shooting Times claims that dumping shot pheasants instead of eating them is a “line peddled by animal rights activists” (Letters, 9 February).The shocking truth – that many of these intensively reared birds are shot primarily for sport and buried instead of eaten – actually originates from shooting insiders. Most of us will be happy if Karl Jenkins continues to produce such vulgar music.G D MORRIS Port Talbot No training needed Sir: “Soldier ‘not trained to deal with civilians’ “(10 February). So the Army does not train combatants how to deal with civilians.
What happened to common humanity, decency and common sense?ESTHER BARTON Ludlow, Shropshire Speed limit shattered Sir: “The 2005 RAC Report on Motoring found that 57 per cent of drivers break the motorway speed limit” (In Brief, 7 February). When I drive on the motorway, at 70mph, mine is usually the only car on the inside lane while everyone else zooms past. I would have estimated the number of drivers breaking the motorway speed limit to be nearer to 97 per cent than 57 per cent – or has the speed limit been increased and no one has bothered to tell me?MIKE STROUD Swansea Quick promotion Sir: I can see what David Llewellyn is getting at when he writes (11 February) that the French have promoted the Scots scrum-half Chris Cusiter, “le petit g?ral”, above their own Jacques Fouroux, “le petit caporal”. However, since “le petit caporal” is the nickname by which the French fondly refer to Napoleon himself, the promotion is not quite as significant as he suggests.C D ROLFE Wigston, Leicester.
