A grandmother who is facing deportation to her native Zimbabwe has been detained.
Evenia Mawongera, an outspoken critic of the Mugabe regime, has been fighting to stay in the UK since July.
On August 16, Evenia submitted an application to stay in the country.
On Friday, the 55-year-old made her weekly visit to the Border Agency, in Loughborough, where she was required to report in.
When she got there, she was told her application had been rejected. She was held in Loughborough before being taken to Yarl's Wood Detention Centre, in Bedford, where she is being detained pending deportation to Zimbabwe.
Ambrose Musiyiwa, a University of Leicester student, who is supporting the family, said: "Neither Evenia nor her solicitor have seen the reasons for refusal.
"If deported to Zimbabwe, Evenia is at risk of persecution and extremely serious ill-treatment at the hands of the Mugabe regime."
It is the second time in three months Evenia has been detained.
In July, she was kept in the detention centre for 11 days.
Evenia fled persecution in Zimbabwe 10 years ago and settled in Leicester, joining her two daughters, who had been granted leave to stay in the UK after completing their studies here.
Her daughters arrived in this country in 1999.
