The Mbala Immigration Office, on 14th February 2024, secured the conviction of 19 Ethiopians aged between 20 and 49 for failure to appear before the nearest immigration Officer on entry into Zambia.
They were among 24 Ethiopian nationals nabbed on 5th February 2024 at Vyula Village, about 100 Kilometers from Mbala District, following a tip-off from members of the Public. Investigations revealed that the group was transported by unknown persons and dropped at Vyula Village in the early hours of Sunday, 4th February 2024, awaiting fresh travel arrangements for their movements.
However, they ran out of food, and some of the Ethiopians decided to leave their hide-out in search of food, leading to their discovery by the Residents.
The 19 were each sentenced to pay a fine of K 300 or, in default, six months simple imprisonment.
Meanwhile, five of the 24 aged between 13 and 18 were handed over to the Department of Social Welfare.
Similarly, the Mkushi Immigration Office, on 16th February 2024, secured the conviction of a 23-year-old Congolese national Felly Musongela for concealing his identity in an attempt to acquire a National Registration Card and a 51-year-old Zambian of Mkushi District, Lastone Musonda of aiding the Congolese.
The duo was arrested on 6th February 2024 after being intercepted by Officers at the Mkushi National Registration Office when they attempted to acquire a National Registration Card pretending to be father and son when they were not.
They were each sentenced to pay a fine of K 2,000 or nine months simple imprisonment.
Further, the Chirundu Immigration Office has secured the conviction of a 46-year-old Cameroonian, David Mbetio.
He was arrested on 13th February 2024 after being handed over by Zimbabwean Officials who refused him entry into that Country for not having a travel document.
Investigations revealed that he entered Zambia on dates unknown but between 7th and 10th February 2024 through Kasumbalesa Border Control without appearing before an Immigration Officer.
On 16th February 2024, he was convicted and sentenced to pay a fine of K10,000 for both counts or one-year simple imprisonment.
Furthermore, the Kitwe Immigration Office, on 14th February 2024, secured the conviction of a 34-year-old Ugandan, Alex Muyomba, for unlawful stay contrary to section 11(3) of the Immigration and Deportation Act number 18 of 2010 of the Laws of Zambia.
He was arrested on 7th February 2024 at the Kitwe Immigration Office, where he had requested a travel document to allow him to exit the contrary on the pretext that he had lost his passport.
The Officers later compelled him to present his passport, which indicated that he entered the Country on 25th October 2019 as an ordinary visitor and continued staying in the Country illegally from 25th January 2020, when his days expired, to the date of his arrest.
The Kitwe Magistrate Court convicted and sentenced him to pay a fine of K 10,000 or nine months simple imprisonment.
Meanwhile, the Kalomo Immigration Office on 13th February 2024 secured the conviction of a 34-year-old Namibian Halweendo Setunyenga, for failure to appear before the nearest Immigration Officer on entry into Zambia and engaging in business without a permit contrary to sections 11(2) and 54 of the Immigration and Deportation Act Number 18 of 2010 of the Laws of Zambia, respectively.
He was apprehended on 25th January 2024 at a checkpoint around the Simakataka area along the Kalomo-Choma Road aboard a Kasumbalesa - bound Maize-laden Namibian Registered Truck.
He was nabbed after it was established that between 24th January 2024 and 25th January 2024, he entered the Country through the Kazungula One Stop Border Control without appearing before an Immigration Officer and had no authority to engage in any business in Zambia.
On 13th February, 2024 he was convicted and sentenced to pay a fine of K 10,000 for both counts or nine months simple imprisonment.
The Mbala, Mkushi, Chirundu, Kitwe, and Kalomo court outcomes brought the number of convictions secured by the Department between 9th and 19th February 2024 to 121.
The Department of Immigration, between 9th and 19th February 2024, apprehended 342 persons of different nationalities for various immigration offenses countrywide, including ten suspected illegal immigrants apprehended during the Joint Operation to arrest Junkies carried out in various parts of Lusaka on 16th February 2024.
During this period, the Department removed 268 illegal immigrants from the Country and refused 15 foreign nationals entry into the Country for failing to meet entry requirements.
Namati H. Nshinka (Mr)
PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER
255282/0977718155/pro@zambiaimmigration.gov.zm