13-01-2022 – The Nakonde Immigration Office between 7th and 12th January, 2022 secured convictions of ten (10) foreign nationals. These were three (03) Kenyans for being in possession of passports bearing forged endorsement stamps, and five (05) Somalis and two (02) Rwandese, for failing to appear before the nearest Immigration Officer on entry. The three (03) Kenyans were intercepted on 4th January, 2022 at Wulongo Checkpoint aboard a Lusaka-bound Talwaka Bus after the Officers conducting onboard screening discovered that the Kenyans had presented passports bearing forged endorsement stamps contrary to section 52(4)(e) as read with section 56 (1) of the Immigration and Deportation Act Number 18 of 2010 of the Laws of Zambia. Two (02) were each sentenced to pay a fine of K 7,000 or in default 9 months simple imprisonment, while one (01) was fined K 8,000 or in default 9 months simple imprisonment.
Meanwhile, the five (05) Somalis were arrested on 3rd January, 2022 after investigations revealed that they arrived in Zambia overland at Nakonde Border Control and failed to proceed to appear before the nearest Immigration Officer for entry procedures contrary to section 12(2) of the Immigration and Deportation Act Number 18 of 2010 of the Laws of Zambia. Three (03) were each sentenced to pay a fine of K 8,000 or in default 9 months simple imprisonment, while two (02) were fined K 7,000 or in default 9 months simple imprisonment. Lastly, one (01) Rwandese was fined K 7,000 and the other K 6,000 or in default 9 months simple imprisonment.
Similarly, the Isoka Immigration Office on 11th January, 2022 secured the conviction of Four (04) Rwandese nationals. Oscar Ngabo (20) faced ten (10) counts of using forged documents, namely Zambian Refugee Cards bearing other people’s names, contrary to section 52(4)(c) and section 56(1) of the Immigration and Deportation Act Number 18 of 2010 of the Laws of Zambia. He was also charged with two (02) counts of uttering false documents namely a Refugee Gate Pass and Refugee Identity Card to Immigration Officers at Isoka, contrary to section 352 of the Penal Code Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia. For all twelve (12) counts he was sentenced to pay a fine of K 11,000 or in default 9 months simple imprisonment. The other three (03) Rwandese nationals were each sentenced to pay a fine of K 1,000 or in default 3 months simple imprisonment for failing to appear before the nearest Immigration Officer on entry. All the Muchinga Province cases were aided by reports received from concerned members of the community and these cases bring the number of convictions secured by the Department between 31st December, 2021 and 12th January, 2022 to Eighty-Four (84).
In another development, the Lusaka Regional Immigration Office has charged five (05) Chinese nationals for unlawful stay contrary to section 11(3) of the Immigration and Deportation Act Number 18 of 2010. They were among seventeen (17) Chinese nationals, who were handed over to Immigration after being apprehended by Zambia Police at Sino Mining in Kasisi on 4th January, 2022. That number rose to twenty-three (23) after Immigration Officers picked a further six (06) Chinese nationals at the same place. Eighteen (18) of those apprehended all had valid Employment Permits bearing Kitwe and Kasempa addresses. They were warned and advised to apply for variation of their Employment Permits by change of address. The other five (05) had overstayed either their business or ordinary visit days and were charged with the offence of unlawful stay and will soon appear in court.
The Department of Immigration between 31st December, 2021 and 12th January, 2022 apprehended One Hundred and Thirty-Two (132) persons for various immigration offences, removed Ninety-Nine (99) illegal immigrants and refused entry to Twenty-Two (22) illegal immigrants for failing to meet entry requirements.
We wish to commend residents of Muchinga Province for partnering with the Department by reporting suspected illegal immigrants to the Department of Immigration. We urge all well-meaning citizens and residents to desist from aiding, harbouring and abetting illegal immigrants but to instead report any suspected illegal immigrants to the nearest immigration Office or by calling the Public Relations Office.