Illegal immigrants face deportation

Mkukula First Grade Magistrate’s Court in Dowa on Wednesday prosecuted eight foreign nationals for illegal stay in the country.

Central Region Immigration Office spokesperson Ealack Banda said the immigrants were arrested on Tuesday during the office’s routine checks.

He said: “During our recent round-up we arrested four illegal immigrants for illegally staying in the country and four refugees for staying outside Dzaleka Refugee Camp without permits.”

Simon Iwu, a Nigerian, has been fined K100 000 and in default to serve six months imprisonment before being deported to his country. Musema Muzuri from the Democratic Republic of  Congo, Clement Mzeyezu from  Rwanda and Bernard Iguha from Uganda were fined K50 000 each and in default to serve six months imprisonment before being deported. The four were charged with illegal stay in the country contrary to Section 21 (1) of the Immigration Act.

The four refugees staying unlawfully outside Dzaleka Refugee Camp were charged with disobeying statutory duty contrary to Section 123 of the Penal Code.

In January this year, the Department of Immigration arrested 30 illegal immigrants who were working and doing business without permits. The department’s deputy spokesperson Wellington Chiponde said they deported them.