The Department of Immigration has said that it has no plans to revoke Employment Permits issued to Chinese nationals.
Reacting to social media reports that the Department intends to withdraw permits issued to Chinese nationals, Spokesperson Mr Namati Nshinka said that the Department does not have such plans and Section 34 of the Immigration and Deportation Act No. 18 of 2010 of the Laws of Zambia outlines grounds for revoking any permit and that there is, therefore, no provision under the Act for the arbitrary revocation or cancellation of any permit.
Below is the full statement
7th October, 2021
STATEMENT ON ALLEGED PLANS TO REVOKE EMPLOYMENT PERMITS ISSUED TO CHINESE NATIONALS
The Department of Immigration wishes to set the record straight on the alleged plans to revoke Employment Permits issued to Chinese nationals. Contrary to alarming reports being peddled by some people, to the effect that the Department intends to withdraw permits issued to Chinese nationals, the Department does not have such plans. We are aware that some crooks have since capitalized on these irresponsible utterances by extorting money from unsuspecting foreign nationals promising them exemption from having their permits revoked.
Section 34 of the Immigration and Deportation Act No. 18 of 2010 of the Laws of Zambia outlines grounds for revoking any permit. There is therefore no provision under the Act for the arbitrary revocation or cancellation of any permit.
We wish to reassure holders of various immigration permits that the Department has no plans to revoke any permit as long as the holders continue complying with the terms and conditions of their permits. We also wish to remind members of the public to desist from making alarming statements which are devoid of facts. Such careless statements have the potential not only to create fear and panic among foreign nationals duly granted permission to stay in the country but also to sour bilateral relations with other countries. We appeal to members of the public to report any incident of extortion to the nearest Police Station or Immigration Office.
The Department will respond to the queries for which it has been cited in the Auditor General’s Report on the alleged 17,004 permits through the stipulated procedure and will only issue a comprehensive statement after exhausting these procedures.
Namati H. Nshinka (Mr)
PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER
Hardworking Zimbabweans and Congolese people don’t get work permits then the whole country sails across oceans to go and give permits to China? Who put you in the debt trap that you are in Right now?
YOU ARE TOTALLY MISSING THE POINT!!!!
1. BRIBING SOMEONE TO ILLEGALLY OBTAIN AM IMMIGRATION PERMIT IS CRIMINAL
2. ISSUING AN IMMIGRATION PERMIT UNPROCEDURALLY AND ILLEGALLY IS ALSO CRIMINAL
NOW, BOTH OF THESE TRANSGRESSIONS MUST BE PROSECUTED, AND IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING THAT THE PRODUCT OF THESE TRANSGRESSIONS, WHICH IS THE PERMIT ITSELF IS ALSO ILLEGAL, INVALID AND MUST BE CANCELLED!!!!
Somoneeee…. somooneeee… ifyo PF acitile!!!! Sooooomoooneeee!!!!!!! Ndipo African countries are funny. We are so easy to sell citizenship and land that we can NOT access where the same people come from. We call it ubupuba.
The criminals spreading such lies should be prosecuted. It is well calculated propaganda meant to cause fear in people. Why would Zambia target Chinese that have legal papers?
Permits should not be revoked, it could jeopardize Zambia’s bilateral ties with other countries. Remember! There are also Zambians living in foreign lands with Permits.
Every permit has the description of the profession that it has been granted for. SO FOR EXAMPLE OF SOMEONE HAS A PERMIT AS AN ENGINEER AND IS WORKING IN A SHOP OR PAINTING A BUILDING IT WAS FALSELY GIVEN OR FALSELY OBTAINED. Action needs to be taken for such cases. However if the permits are genuine then they must be honoured.
Yes a lot of Zambians work in foreign countries but the permits are genuine.
@4, Zambia is a sovereign nation and cn naot be threatened by other countres if it’ds citizens are criminals. If permits were grantred thtough corruption, then they have to be revoked. Failure to do so would be encouraging criminality
The unemployment rate is too high! What job can a chinese do that a Zambian can fail to do? When you are taking a walk in Lusaka like around those townships which lie along great east road. the language on walls and board adverts is in chinese. I found chinese making blocks at one plot. Not even one Zambian. All Customers were Zambians. seeing so many chinese in our neighborhood makes you feel like the country has been autioned.