By ALICE NACHILEMBE
Immigration Officers at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport has denied exit to a Zambian woman travelling to Oman to work as a house maid in a suspected human trafficking case.
Immigrations Public Relations Officer Namati Nshinka said the woman who is in her late twenties intended to travel to Oman to take-up a job as house maid when she was denied exit for not having clearance from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.
Mr Nshinka said it is the third incident where Zambians wishing to take-up jobs in the service industry abroad, have been intercepted at the Airport in less than a week.
He said with similar interceptions of four other Zambians headed for Turkey and Pakistan having been made on February 4 and 5, 2022, respectively.
Mr Nshinka also said 30 Malawians were also refused entry at Chirundu in Zimbabwe in a suspected human trafficking case.
He said they have since been removed from the country through Mwami Border Control.
Mr Nshinka said the Department has noted with concern a growing trend where unsuspecting Zambians are being lured to travel abroad by fellow Zambian citizens and foreigners, but end up stranded and in some cases, being exploited.
“We further wish to advise members of the public planning to travel abroad, especially prospective students and job seekers to verify adverts of job offers and scholarships with relevant authorities such as the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Consular Offices, the Department of Immigration and the International Organization for Migration,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Chadiza Immigration Office has secured the conviction of 48 Ethiopians for failing to appear before an Immigration Officer on entry and have since been transferred to Namuseche Correctional Facility to begin serving their prison terms for failing to pay their fines.
Similarly, the Monze Immigration Office has secured the conviction of 17 Somalis and Nine Bangladeshi nationals for failing to appear before an Immigration Officer on entry.
In another court development, the Ndola Regional Immigration Office on February 2, 2022 secured the conviction of a 32 year-old Serbian footballer of Buildcon Football Club, Sasa Teofanov for unlawful stay.
He was apprehended on January 26, 2022 in a routine operation in Northrise Ndola when he failed to produce documentation legalizing his stay in Zambia.
Investigations later revealed that he was in the books of Buildcon Football Club. He was sentenced to pay a fine of K 10,000 or in default 9 months simple imprisonment.
He paid the fine and was placed on a Temporary Permit to wind-up and leave the country.
Meanwhile, Buildcon was also fined K 40,000 for harboring.
