12-01-2021 – The Mbala Immigration Office has secured the conviction of eleven (11) Ethiopians for the offence of illegal entry into Zambia, contrary to section 11(2) and 56(1) of the Immigration and Deportation Act No. 18 of 2010 of the Laws of Zambia.
The eleven (11), all males aged between 20 and 30 years, were intercepted 90 Kilometres from Mbala along the Mbala-Nakonde Road on 2nd January 2021 by alert Immigration Officers who were on patrol duties. The now convicts were aboard an overloaded Toyota Spacio motor vehicle Registration Number ACR 9177 when they failed to produce documentation legalizing their entry into Zambia. The Zambian driver of the vehicle, whose identity remains unknown, managed to escape.
Appearing before the Magistrate Court on 11th January, 2021, all the eleven (11) were convicted and each sentenced to pay a fine of K 500 to be paid within 15 days or in default 12 months imprisonment with hard labour. They are currently at Mbala Correctional Facility where they will serve their prison terms if they fail to pay the court fines.
Meanwhile on the same day, one (01) Congolese in Ndola was convicted and sentenced to pay a fine of K 1,500 or in default 3 months simple imprisonment for the offence of unlawful stay. Similarly, in Solwezi, one (01) Tanzanian was convicted and sentenced to pay a fine of K 800 or in default 9 months simple imprisonment for illegal entry.
The Department also apprehended five (05) persons of different nationalities for various immigration offences and removed three (03) illegal immigrants from the country.
We wish to encourage anyone aware of an individual, business, or employer who may be aiding and abetting illegal immigrants to contact the Department of Immigration.
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