By REBECCA MUSHOTA –
THE Immigration Department has deported 43 foreigners from Zambia in less than a week.
Immigration Department public relations officer Namati Nshinka said 43 prohibited immigrants were removed, while 34 were arrested and 11 convicted in courts.
This was between last week Friday and Monday this week.
“Of the 43 prohibited immigrants removed, 22 were Congolese removed on escort by headquarters and Lusaka regional office. Also removed were 15 of the 48 Ethiopians who were on September 15, 2014 arrested for unlawful entry by Immigration after being found in a Tanzanian containerised Scania truck,” Mr Nshinka said.
He said a Congolese was removed by the Kabwe Immigration office while four Tanzanians were deported by the Kitwe office and a Nigerian and another Congolese were also deported.
Mr Nshinka said the 11 convictions secured included that of a Somali convicted by a Kitwe magistrate’s court and fined K20, 000 for working without an immigration permit.
He said a Zambian man was also convicted by a Ndola magistrate’s court and sentenced to three months imprisonment with hard labour for impersonating an immigration officer.
A magistrate’s court in Livingstone also convicted and fined three Tanzanians K1,000 each for unlawful stay.
He said among the 34 arrested were 15 Ethiopians nabbed in Chama for unlawful entry.
The others were six Somalis arrested by the Ndola regional Immigration Office after failing to produce their documentation.
In a related development, Immigration officers in Chirundu also arrested a Zimbabwean woman for unlawful stay and a Zimbabwean man for being found in possession of Zimbabwean and Malawian passports.
Meanwhile, Immigration officials at Victoria Falls arrested an Ethiopian for using a forged Kenyan passport when making exit from Zambia.