May asked to look at X-Factor deportation case
By politics.co.uk staff
The home secretary has been asked to look into the case of failed X-Factor contestant Gamu Nhengu, who is facing deportation to Zimbabwe.
Scotland’s Culture Minister Fiona Hyslop urged Theresa May to see if there was any way the deportation could be stopped.
“Since 2008, Ms Ngazana has been working in Scotland on a Fresh Talent visa, a Home Office scheme which the Scottish government has been keen to promote as a means of attracting and retaining individuals with valuable skills,” she wrote.
“As such, she has supported her family and contributed economically.
“As you will also no doubt be aware, Ms Ngazana’s daughter, Gamu Nhengu, has been participating in the X Factor television show. Gamu has demonstrated that she is a hugely talented singer, and potentially a great asset to Scotland’s cultural community.
“I would strongly urge you to take a personal interest in the family’s circumstances, to ensure that all relevant factors are properly and fully considered, so that any options which would allow them to stay in Scotland are fully explored.”
The singer is understood to be terrified of returning to Zimbabwe, where her public profile in the UK may make her a target of Robert Mugabe.
“I’ve been in the public eye now and people there know I’ve fled Mugabe’s regime,” she told the News of the World.
“They will punish us if we go back. They’re going to know where we are. There’s a firing squad waiting for us there and they’re putting me in front of it.”
