WOMEN of Zimbabwe (WOZ) was set up in April 2020 to advocate for women’s rights and safety issues in Zimbabwe. The project also sought to support women start home-based businesses to help them earn money to contribute to the family income.
 
In November 2023 Women of Zimbabwe was approached by several women who had experienced challenges of refusals when applying for their children to join them in Britain.
 
WOZ learnt that some of the children are as young as two-and-a-half years old and have been left with elderly parents, friends, neighbours and nannies. The Home Office is systematically barring young children from joining their mothers in Britain despite extensive proof the women are their primary caregivers.
 
Furthermore, WOZ established that this issue is affecting children of single black African mothers from southern and west African countries (Zimbabwe, Zambia, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria).

WOZ believes that the refusals are being handed under an opaque policy we condemn as discriminatory and inhumane, the government is refusing many of visas for children of migrant single mothers, who have come to work in the NHS or social care, saying there are “no compelling reasons” to grant them or that they “don’t have sole responsibility or sole custody” despite producing all the necessary evidence.

Over 200 single mothers are affected by these decisions. WOZ are assisting the mothers by signposting to legal advice, reviewing their applications, advising them to write letters to their MPs to intervene, ideas and suggestions on how to structure their personal statements, how to obtain legal court documents from their countries of origin. So far, WOZ has succeeded in helping four mothers obtain visas for their children to join them in Britain.

WOZ has written a petition which has been signed by 1,000 people and will be handed in at No 10 on March 5 2024. The petition is asking government to provide dependant children of healthcare workers’ visas to join their parents in Britain.

The separation of the children from their mothers is causing emotional distress on both parties, there have been reports of children being suicidal, not able to concentrate at school, and experiencing abuse by family members.

WOZ is asking the Home Office to review the applications of all the mothers affected and act in the best interests of the children. The mothers are distraught with the separation from their children and reports of neglect and abuse have been reported of girls as young as 12.

A 14-year-old girl reported that she was being groomed for sexual activity by the pastor of her friend’s mum with which she is currently living. A very sad story emerged recently in which it is reported that a young boy committed suicide because he could no longer cope without his mother and did not understand why she couldn’t return to get him and relocate to Britain to live together as a family.
 
Patricia Chinyoka is founder of Women of Zimbabwe.