By CHALWE YAMBAYAMA
PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema should adopt an African-friendly migration policy and avoid needless deaths of migrants, Patriotic Front presidential aspiring candidate Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba has said.
Mr. Mwamba said the President must prioritise the dignity and safety of those seeking asylum by adopting a migration policy and laws that are user-friendly so that asylum seekers do not resort to methods that threaten human life as means of seeking entry into the country.
The former Defence Minister was reacting to the discovery of several dead bodies of asylum seekers dumped somewhere in the bush in Lusaka.
The veteran politician noted that on several occasions, migrants from other African countries have entered the country packed in poorly ventilated trucks and compartments that are not designed for human passengers.
He said Zambia has always been a haven of peace and political stability and will therefore remain an attractive destination for either refugees or economic migrants.
Mr Mwamba said “We need to adopt immigration policies and laws that allow others to come through normal border entry points assured that we shall open our doors to them and give them a fair hearing.
