By ALICE NACHILEMBE
The Kasempa Magistrate Court has convicted and sentenced 33 Tanzanian men, aged 19-52, to a fine of K1,500 each or three months’ simple imprisonment for engaging in employment without permits.
They were among 38 suspected illegal immigrants apprehended in Kasempa District’s Dengwe Area on September 22-23, 2024, during a joint operation with police aimed at curbing illegal mining.
Immigration Public Relations Officer Namati Nshika confirmed that the individuals had entered Zambia as ordinary visitors using emergency travel documents but were found engaging in illegal mining activities.
Five others were released after producing their Zambian National Registration Cards. All 33 convicted individuals have paid their fines and will soon be removed from the country.
In another case, the Chipata Magistrate Court convicted Jeremiah Chikumbutso, a 27-year-old Malawian medical student at Eden University, to two years and six months imprisonment with hard labor for concealing his national identity and uttering a false document.
Furthermore, the Ndola Regional Immigration Office secured the conviction of 22-year-old Somali refugee Ahmed Mohamud Farah for being found outside a refugee settlement without a gate pass. On the same day, the Ndola Magistrate Court convicted 28-year-old Somali business manager Ahmed Abdulkadir Ali, fining him K1,000 or six months’ simple imprisonment for obstructing immigration officers.
Additionally, the Kitwe Magistrate Court convicted 22-year-old Burundian Renovat Nzonjibwami, fining him K30,000 or 12 months’ simple imprisonment for unlawful stay and engaging in employment without a permit since 2021.
Between October 1-6, 2024, the Department of Immigration apprehended 211 individuals for various offenses, removed 107 illegal immigrants, and refused entry to six persons for failing to meet requirements.
