- They reportedly work in several projects without work and residents’ permits – Report
- Those who apply for permits are rejected, since their jobs can be done by citizens
- Some depend on days given at ports of entry, once exhausted they overstay and continue working
- Report calls for establishment of a detention centre for Illegal Immigrants in Maun
A report by the North West District Development Committee (DDC) has laid bare a chilling revelation that the Maun Regional Immigration Office is faced with a challenge of overstay by Chinese who work in several projects without work and residents permits.
Some reportedly use days they got at points of entry and when they are exhausted they stay on and continue working instead of applying for residents and work permits.
“Some apply but their permits are rejected because their skills can be sourced locally and they continue working without permits,” read the report.
The report further reveals that there was a challenge in deporting four Chinese individuals because they were not accompanied by immigration officers to their destination.
During the operations, the department is said to has further encountered that the foreign employees who are working at one of the new malls in Maun were relying on days they are given upon entry without work and residents permits. “Even when their days get exhausted they continue working which leads to overstaying,” the department further revealed.
As for payment of offences, the report revealed, “there has been a challenge for the past two months, the payments for immigration offences were delayed as there were no issuance of receipts at the police station. Some were given confirmation of payment with police letterheads and stamp.”
During the quarter under review, the Maun Regional Labour Office is also said to has participated in joint operations were 17 offences of people working without work permits and six of employing a non-citizen without a work permit were registered.
Challenges encountered during the operations were shortage of manpower, the vast area of jurisdiction as well as language barrier. As interventions, suggestions made included the need for public awareness, the need to intensify labour inspections as well as to intensify spot checks on permit holders.
DDC has since called for the construction of a detention centre in the Maun region that will accommodate illegal immigrants while they await deportation. The report indicates that the region is vast hence the need for such a facility.
“Illegal immigrants are kept in police cells for a long time and this is a challenge because police are allowed to keep them for only 48 hours,” emphasised the report. The nearest detention centre to the Maun region is the Francistown Centre for Illegal Immigrants.
During the quarter under review, a business inspection and Law enforcement operation were recently held in the region and several findings were made. According to the report, there is high rate of Zimbabweans who came through ungazetted point of entry without documents while others have passports with no stamps from points of entry.
