The Department of Immigration in Nakonde district, Muchinga Province, has apprehended 13 Ethiopian nationals for illegal entry into the country, contrary to section 11 of the Immigration and Deportation Act number 18 of 2010 of the Laws of Zambia.
The group was detained on July 11, 2021 aboard a stationary Noah motor vehicle registration number AIB 8988, after they failed to produce documentation authorizing their entry into Zambia.
Immigration Public Relations Officer Namati Nshinka disclosed that this was during midnight patrols done to check on COVID-19 compliance levels.
‘’This was jointly conducted by Officers from Immigration and other Security Wings, Health Officers and Nakonde Council Police,’’ he said.
‘’They appeared before the Magistrate Court in Nakonde and were all convicted and each sentenced to pay a fine of K 3,000 or in default 9 months simple imprisonment,’’ disclosed Mr Nshinka.
In a similar incident the Department also apprehended 11 Ethiopians nationals aged between 18 and 25 years as they were walking along the Malawi road, which leads to Chipata district, after an alert from members of the public.
‘’It is suspected that they entered Zambia using illegal bush paths with the intention to enter Malawi and later re-enter Zambia and use the Eastern Corridor to reach South Africa, their apparent destination,’’ Explained Mr Nshinka.
‘’They are currently detained at Nakonde Police Station pending prosecution. This brings the number of persons of different nationalities apprehended by the Department between July, 29 and August, 4 2021 to sixty-eight,’’ he said.
Mr Nshinka further added that during this same period the department also removed one hundred and eight illegal immigrants from the country.
‘’ Among those removed were twenty-six Congolese, comprising ten adults and fourteen children removed by the Mongu Regional Immigration Office on July, 31 2021 via Kasumbalesa Border Control,’’ he disclosed.
Mr Nshinka indicated that this was after they were arrested on June, 6, 2021 at a guest house for not having any travel documents and investigations revealed that their movement was organized and that they entered Zambia through Kasumbalesa Border Control enroute to Namibia.
This is contained in a statement made available to the media by Immigration Public Relations Officer Namati Nshinka.
Let them stay in Zambia