THE Chirundu Immigration Office has apprehended 10 Ethiopians for illegal entry and unlawful stay, Immigration Department Public Relations Officer, Namati, Nshika has disclosed.
Mr Nshinka explained in a statement that a joint team of Immigration and Police Officers conducted an operation in the early hours of November 30, 2022 following a tip that an unnamed person or persons planned to smuggle some Ethiopians into Zimbabwe across the Zambezi River.
“The Ethiopians were found hidden in some drainages in Singwini Compound within Chirundu and it is believed that they had been waiting for the said smugglers to assist them in crossing into Zimbabwe using canoes.
They have since been transferred to the Lusaka Regional Immigration Office for further immigration formalities,” said Mr Nshinka
He also reported that the Kasumbalesa Immigration Office, in the early hours of November 28, 2022, apprehended 26 persons for various immigration offences.
Mr Nshika said that was during a routine clean-up operation conducted within the Kasumbalesa Market area and those apprehended were 19 Congolese, six Tanzanians, and one Zimbabwean.
The Chirundu and Kasumbalesa incidents bring the number of persons apprehended between November 25 and December 1, 2022 to 194.
Meanwhile, Mr Nshinka said the Katete Immigration Office, on November 30, 2022, secured the convictions of 18 Ethiopian nationals for illegal entry where 16 were each sentenced to pay a fine of K1, 000 or in default, four months simple imprisonment, while two two were fined K 1,500 or, in default, 12 months simple imprisonment.
Mr Nshinka also disclosed that the Department of Immigration, on November 25, 2022, also removed 19 Ethiopians after serving prison sentences for offences of illegal entry and unlawful stay who were apprehended in various parts of the country, predominantly Eastern, Muchinga, and Central provinces, where they were convicted and served prison sentences before being transferred to Lusaka for removal.
He said the launch of the country’s first-ever Migration Policy and the National Policy on Human Trafficking and Smuggling of immigrants was timely and their full implementation would significantly help mitigate the adverse effects of migration.
