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022637
MDHOAN 3422
DIFFICULTY OF FINDING ANYONE IN THIS ENVIRONMENT IS COMPOUNDED BY
THE ZAIREAN PRACTICE WHEREBY ONE PERSON MAY BE KNOWN UNDER A
VARIETY OF GIVEN AFRICAN NAMES AS WELL AS A EUROPEAN NAME.
3 =
THE FCO WAS FIRST CONTACTED AT APPROXIMATELY 01.30 ON THE
MORNING OF 2 MAY. THE RESIDENT CLERK (THE FCO DUTY OFFICER) RECEIVED A TELEPHONE CALL FROM MISS FIONA SPENCER, THE PRIVATE SECRETARY TO MR PETER LLOYD, MINISTER OF STATE AT THE HOME OFFICE, ASKING THAT INSTRUCTIONS BE SENT AT ONCE TO THE KINSHASA EMBASSY TO MEET THE FLIGHT UTA 785 ARRIVING IN KINSHASA FROM
PARIS AT 0420 2 MAY. EMBASSY OFFICIALS WERE TO TRY TO MEET A PASSENGER CALLED MAKUNSA MBALA (THE APPLICANT) WHO WOULD BE ARRIVING UNDER ESCORT, HAVING BEEN REMOVED FROM THE UK. THEY WERE TO ASK THE APPLICANT IF HE WISHED TO RETURN TO THE UNITED
KINGDOM, AND IF SO THEY WERE TO LOOK AFTER HIM AND ARRANGE FOR HIS RETURN BY THE EARLIEST POSSIBLE FLIGHT.
4.
ALTHOUGH THE FLIGHT HAD LANDED BY THE TIME THE MESSAGE WAS
RECEIVED IN KINSHASA, THE EMBASSY WERE ABLE TO LOCATE THE
APPLICANT AT KINSHASA AIRPORT: HE WAS STILL WITH IMMIGRATION
OFFICIALS, HAVING ARRIVED ON A UK TRAVEL DOCUMENT. THE DEPUTY
HEAD OF MISSION ASKED THE APPLICANT ON THE TELEPHONE AS
INSTRUCTED WHETHER HE WISHED TO RETURN TO THE UK AND THE
APPLICANT SAID THAT HE
WENT TO THE AIRPORT TO
AND
DID. MR SCHROEDER, THIRD SECRETARY, THEN COLLECT THE APPLICANT'S TRAVEL DOCUMENT THE APPLICANT WAS BOOKED ON THE FLIGHT SCHEDULED TO LEAVE
KINSHASA THAT EVENING 2 MAY.
5.
HOWEVER AT 16.15 GMT ON 2 MAY AT THE REQUEST OF THE HOME
OFFICE THE FCO INSTRUCTED THE EMBASSY IN KINSHASA TO INFORM THE
IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES THAT IT WAS NO LONGER AN IMMEDIATE REQUIREMENT FOR THE APPLICANT TO RETURN TO THE UK. AS A RESULT
THE DEPUTY HEAD OF MISSION AND THE THIRD SECRETARY WENT TO
KINSHASA AIRPORT IN THE EVENING OF 2 MAY TO TELL THE APPLICANT OF
THIS DECISION. THIRD SECRETARY EXPLAINED THAT THERE WAS NO
LONGER ANY URGENT NEED FOR APPLICANT TO ATTEND COURT PROCEEDINGS
IN THE UK, BUT ASKED HIM TO REMAIN IN TOUCH WITH THE EMBASSY. THE APPLICANT GAVE TWO CONTACT ADDRESSES: KIGOMO 124 ZONE DE
KINSHASA, AND YOLU SUD, ZONE DE KALAMU, RUE DE MOBALI NO 24. APPLICANT THEN LEFT THE AIRPORT WITHOUT ANY OBJECTION BEING
RAISED BY IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS. THE LATTER HAD BEEN
CONSISTENTLY HELPFUL AND AFTER COMPLETION OF IMMIGRATION
FORMALITIES HAD ALLOWED THE APPLICANT TO STAY AT THEIR OFFICES
WHILE AWAITING THE RETURN FLIGHT TO THE UK.
THE
6. ON 4 MAY THE HOME OFFICE REQUESTED THAT EVERY EFFORT BE MADE
TO CONTACT THE APPLICANT AND TO ARRANGE FOR HIS RETURN TO THE UK
AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. MR SCHROEDER, THIRD SECRETARY, VISITED THE
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