Opponents of the government of Robert Mugabe, 88 and in power since 1980, have faced disappearances, torture and killings, according to Amnesty International.
Two of James’s brothers were in Britain, and fearing for his future, they helped him move there as a student. James went on to earn his degree from a London university.
He married a fellow Zimbabwean and joined the MDC’s British branch.
But he was no longer able to extend his student visa and did not feel safe returning to Zimbabwe to lodge a new application from there.
“The CIO are at the airport. The moment you get there, they want to know who you are, where you are coming from, why were you away for such a long time?” he said.
“I know what it’s like. I have friends who have been taken away. Some have come back beaten up, others don’t come back. The last time I tried calling one friend, he wasn’t answering, and I don’t know what’s happened to him.”
MDC chief Morgan Tsvangirai became premier in 2009 under a unity government, but human rights groups say oppression continued.
Zimbabwe, Iran and Afghanistan are the most common countries from which people seek asylum in Britain, and in 2010 James decided his only option was to join the queue.
Like many others, he received an initial refusal citing a lack of evidence. But he appealed on advice from a lawyer, remaining in the country legally.
In the meantime James was not allowed to work and the couple were destitute. His wife stayed with a friend, while James was homeless, staying in shelters if he was lucky.
“All of the winter in 2010 and 2011 I had no place to live,” he said.
“It’s been a really, really tough time.”
James’s wife gave birth to twins in 2011; one died, while the surviving son has a chronic lung condition.
Eventually, helped by charity Refugee Action, the family accessed state benefits including vouchers and basic accommodation in the northwestern city of Manchester.
But James still struggles to raise bus fares and has heard nothing on his asylum claim for two years.
He longs to work and start a normal family life.
“The legal limbo that (James) is in, like so many others in this country waiting for a decision on their asylum claim, is unacceptable,” said Dave Garratt, chief executive of Refugee Action.
Asylum applications in Europe have fallen sharply from a peak 10 years ago, but many governments continue to keep applicants waiting. In Germany they wait an average of more than 21 months, according to an EU-sponsored education project.
In Britain, Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservative-led coalition government, which has promised a clampdown on immigration, places emphasis on deporting illegal immigrants rather than resolving asylum cases.
But a UK Border Agency spokesperson said: “We are resolving asylum cases more quickly. Last year 63 percent of cases were dealt with within 12 months… Protection is always given where there is a well-founded fear of persecution.”
Garratt of Refugee Action added: “Whilst the number of unresolved cases can be counted, the human cost of wasted potential is beyond measure.”
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