The Ministry of Home Affairs, through the Department of Immigration, has deported 109 illegal immigrants of Tanzanian, Burundian, Ugandan, Congolese, Kenyan and Zimbabwean origins in a mass removal exercise conducted across the country.

In a statement, Immigration Department public relations officer Namati Nshinka explained that majority of those removed from the country had been awaiting court appearance for various immigration offences, while some had completed serving prison sentences for various immigration offences.

“The Department of Immigration between 29th June, 2018, and 3rd July, 2018, removed 109 illegal immigrants and deported six others from the country. This was during a mass removal exercise carried out across the country. Those removed were 83 Tanzanians, 10 Burundese, five Ugandans and five Congolese. Others were three Somalis, two Zimbabweans and one Kenyan. The majority of those removed had been awaiting court appearance for various immigration offences, while some had completed serving prison sentences for various immigration offences,” stated Nshinka.

“Meanwhile, six Zimbabwean nationals were deported, three of them after being acquitted on aggravated robbery charges. The other three, all female, were deported after serving six months prison sentences for shoplifting. The exercise follows a series of clean-up operations carried out by the Department, aimed at ridding the country of illegal immigrants. We wish to advise foreign nationals who are already in Zambia and those intending to visit Zambia to ensure that they comply with the Immigration and Deportation Act, failure to which they will be arrested and prosecuted.”