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Zim in talks with SA to have another phase of documentation programme
21 Dec 2011 at 22:47hrs | Views
On Wednesday a cabinet minister said Zimbabwe government is engaging South Africa with the view of having a second phase of documenting Zimbabweans living in that country illegally.
Home Affairs co-Minister Kembo Mohadi, who was speaking soon after assessing the situation at Beitbridge border post, said there were more Zimbabweans living in South Africa illegally who still needed to formalise their stay in that country.
South Africa had from May 5, 2009 to July 31, 2011 issued a moratorium on deportations and gave Zimbabweans an amnesty to regularise their stay.
A total of 275 762 applications from Zimbabweans wishing to regularise their stay have been processed while several others were turned down and others are pending.
South African authorities hailed the adjudication process commending the co-operation from Zimbabweans in general and the South Africa-Zimbabwe Stakeholder Forum in particular.
The South Africa-Zimbabwe Stakeholder Forum encompasses Zimbabwean organisations operating within South Africa among them the Zimbabwean Embassy, Consulate and the Registrar General.
At the end of the moratorium South Africa resumed deportations of illegal immigrants and 6 502 have been repatriated from that country.
Minister Mohadi said his ministry was ready for the second phase of the Zimbabwe documentation programme.
"We are currently engaging the South African government to have another phase of documenting our people who are staying in that country illegally.
"In the last exercise the response was good though some people were suspicious on our intentions. We believe that this time we will have a huge response now that people know that we mean well.
"The Registrar General's department is inundated with people who want to apply for passports and other travel documents since the documentation programme began in South Africa last year.
"As a government we have enough resources for the programme and our hope is that the exercise should start early next year," he said.
Minister Mohadi urged Zimbabweans to take the documentation exercise seriously.
"It is of paramount importance that our people respect the immigration laws of the host country and that they should always strive to travel legally as this will ensure that they are well protected by the laws of that country," Minister Mohadi said.
Home Affairs co-Minister Kembo Mohadi, who was speaking soon after assessing the situation at Beitbridge border post, said there were more Zimbabweans living in South Africa illegally who still needed to formalise their stay in that country.
South Africa had from May 5, 2009 to July 31, 2011 issued a moratorium on deportations and gave Zimbabweans an amnesty to regularise their stay.
A total of 275 762 applications from Zimbabweans wishing to regularise their stay have been processed while several others were turned down and others are pending.
South African authorities hailed the adjudication process commending the co-operation from Zimbabweans in general and the South Africa-Zimbabwe Stakeholder Forum in particular.
The South Africa-Zimbabwe Stakeholder Forum encompasses Zimbabwean organisations operating within South Africa among them the Zimbabwean Embassy, Consulate and the Registrar General.
At the end of the moratorium South Africa resumed deportations of illegal immigrants and 6 502 have been repatriated from that country.
"We are currently engaging the South African government to have another phase of documenting our people who are staying in that country illegally.
"In the last exercise the response was good though some people were suspicious on our intentions. We believe that this time we will have a huge response now that people know that we mean well.
"The Registrar General's department is inundated with people who want to apply for passports and other travel documents since the documentation programme began in South Africa last year.
"As a government we have enough resources for the programme and our hope is that the exercise should start early next year," he said.
Minister Mohadi urged Zimbabweans to take the documentation exercise seriously.
"It is of paramount importance that our people respect the immigration laws of the host country and that they should always strive to travel legally as this will ensure that they are well protected by the laws of that country," Minister Mohadi said.
Source - TH
