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Somali illegal immigrants who were recently arrested in Bulawayo being taken to court.

Thupeyo Muleya in BEITBRIDGE
The Department of Immigration has raised concern at the influx of undocumented immigrants from countries in the Horn of Africa who violate Zimbabwe’s laws with the assistance of international trafficking syndicates.Principal immigration officer-in-charge of administration at Beitbridge Border Post, Mr Innocent Hamandishe, made the remarks during a tour of the port by students from the National Defence College recently.

He said they had challenges with asylum seekers from Ethiopia and Somalia, as well as from DRC. He added that since Zimbabwe and South Africa took a stand against irregular migration in May 2011, syndicates had emerged and were now transporting people through undesignated points into either country.

It is believed that most of these immigrants find their way into Zimbabwe through Kanyemba, Nyamapanda and Mutare before they try and proceed to South Africa.

Several Zimbabweans have been arrested for facilitating irregular migration, particularly of Somalis. Mr Hamandishe said: “We are saying these people should formally apply for refugee status in their first country of safety rather than becoming a law unto themselves.

“They cannot render themselves refugees until they are accorded that status by the host country.  At the same time we want to urge people to always travel legally so as to avoid some unnecessary situations and prosecution in some cases. We will continue rounding them up until they start complying with the immigration laws of this country.”

He also added that those seeking refugee status would be assisted in accordance with the country’s immigration laws and other international conventions dealing with such issues.

Mr Hamandishe said the syndicates changed tactics following Zimbabwe and South Africa’s hardline stance on illegal immigrants.
He said the syndicates were hiring buses to transport refugees to within 20 to 40km of the border from where they would help them across the Limpopo River.

He said the Immigration Department was working with other security agencies on periodic raids at known illegal crossing points such as Mai Maria, Dite, Panda Mine and Tshikomitshini.

“Besides immigrants from East Africa we are also witnessing a new trend where bus crews attempt to smuggle illegal immigrants from South Africa into the country.

“On average we intercept about 20 people from buses coming inland. These are then fined for breaching sections of the Immigration Act and the bus crews are also taken to court for further punishment,” he said.