By ALICE NACHILEMBE
The Lusaka Regional Immigration Office has secured the conviction of a 47-year old British national Albert Habimana for the offences of failing to appear before an Immigration Officer on entry and unlawful stay in the country.
He was apprehended on 31st August, 2021 by Officers at the Lusaka Regional Immigration Office when he visited that Office in an attempt to legalize his stay in the country, at which point it was discovered that he entered and was staying in the country illegally between 18th November, 2020 and 31st August, 2021.
Immigrations Department Public Relations Officer Namati Nshinka said on Friday, September 3, 2021 he was sentenced to pay a fine of K 20,000 or in default 9 months simple imprisonment for both counts and has since been removed from the country after paying the court fine.
Mr Nshinka said this brings the number of convictions secured by the Department between 3rd and 5th September 2021 to 16.
Meanwhile, the Chibombo Immigration Office has apprehended 10 Burundians for the offences of unlawful entry and stay. The foreign nationals who are aged between 27 and 40 years were nabbed on Friday, September 3, 2021 in Kabangwe during a clean-up operation carried out to rid the area of illegal immigrants. All the ten (10) were found selling in shops and failed to produce documentation legalizing their entry and stay in the country. They are currently detained pending further formalities.
Similarly, the Shang’ombo Immigration Office in Western Province on 3rd and 4th September, 2021 apprehended three suspected Angolans for obtaining National Registration Cards (NRCs) fraudulently.
Mr Nshinka said they are currently on Reports Orders pending prosecution. This brings the number of persons apprehended by the Department for immigration-related offences between 3rd and 5th September, 2021 to 39.
During this period the Department also removed eight illegal immigrants from the country and refused two foreign nationals entry into the country for failing to meet entry requirements.
“Citizens are being reminded of the legal consequences associated with assisting anyone who does not qualify for national documents of identity such as the National Registration Card and Passports. It is irresponsible and unpatriotic to assist any person who does not legally qualify for these important documents to obtain them. Our Officers across the country continue being on high alert to detect documents of national identity suspected to have been obtained fraudulently,” he said.
