14-07-2025 – The Department of Immigration is actively working to curb illegal mining activities by foreign nationals in Zambia. In this regard, and in particular compliance with the Presidential directive to take decisive and immediate action against illegal mining, the Department launched a targeted operation on 4th June, 2025, in North-Western province aimed at curbing illegal mining activities by foreign nationals.
To date, this operation has led to the arrest of 313 foreign illegal miners, the majority of whom have already been removed from the country. Others are being prosecuted. These individuals were found to be in breach of the terms and conditions of their immigration status in the country. None of these individuals were licensed to undertake mining activities in Zambia, and as such, their actions constituted a clear violation of the Immigration and Deportation Act No.18 of 2010. Offenders are being subjected to the full spectrum of legal measures available, including arrest, prosecution, removal, and deportation.
The Department, working in close collaboration with other security wings, remains committed to sustaining and intensifying these operations. We are particularly focused on areas identified as hotspots for illegal mining, such as Mufumbwe. We have also tightened entry requirements for identified risk nationalities, resulting in an increased number of potential offenders being refused entry at various border controls.
Furthermore, the Department has strengthened surveillance and monitoring along commonly used routes. This is already yielding tangible results. For instance, on 5th July, 2025, the Chingola Immigration Office apprehended seventeen (17) foreign nationals at a security checkpoint aboard a bus traveling from Nakonde to Solwezi. The individuals were found to be en route to engage in illegal mining and were in breach of their immigration conditions.
