News / National
Haulage truck carrying 58 undocumented 'refugees' intercepted
29 Dec 2011 at 17:52hrs | Views
POLICE have intercepted a haulage truck which was carrying 58 undocumented "refugees" from East and Central Africa who intended to illegally cross into South Africa through undesignated entry points along the Limpopo River. The illegal immigrants from Somalia, Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Burundi, were intercepted at a roadblock along the Beitbridge-Masvingo road on Christmas Day.
The assistant regional immigration manager in charge of Beitbridge Border Post, Mr Charles Gwede, confirmed the arrest.
"I can confirm that a group of 58 illegal immigrants comprising Somalis, Ethiopians, Congolese and Burundians was intercepted by police and handed over to us.
"They intended to illegally cross the border into South Africa under the guise of being refugees. They did not have documents from the first country of safety to prove their status," he said.
Mr Gwede said the truck driver who was transporting the illegal immigrants was also arrested on charges of assisting border jumpers.
The undocumented "refugees" were on Wednesday ferried to Tongogara Refugee Camp in Chipinge following assistance from United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
Mr Gwede said the group had been kept at a temporary holding centre in Beitbridge prior to its departure.
The crackdown on undocumented refugees follows a meeting in May between Zimbabwean and South African immigration officials over the issue of irregular migration between the two countries.
Several refugees from East and Central Africa, mostly Somalis, have since the beginning of May, been continuously flocking into the country on transit to South Africa through Beitbridge Border Post.
Co-Minister of Home Affairs Kembo Mohadi was recently quoted as saying that the flooding of illegal immigrants at the Beitbridge Border Post was a result of some rogue elements purporting to be refugees and seeking to illegally cross into South Africa.
Minister Mohadi said refugees seeking permits to cross borders could be assisted but only when proper procedures were followed.
About 100 Somalis, most of which had no documents to prove their refugee status, were the first group to be denied entry at the South African entry port. The barring of the Somalis to enter South Africa followed the recent enactment of the Refugee Amendment Bill by the South African Parliament.
According to international immigration law, refugees are only allowed to proceed to the next country to apply for an asylum permit once they are conferred the refugee status by the first country of safety.
The first group of Somalis, numbering 97, which was refused entry into South Africa, is suspected to have used illegal entry points along the crocodile-infested Limpopo River to cross the border. The refugees use Zimbabwe as their transit point to South Africa after having entered the country through Nyamapanda Border Post.
The assistant regional immigration manager in charge of Beitbridge Border Post, Mr Charles Gwede, confirmed the arrest.
"I can confirm that a group of 58 illegal immigrants comprising Somalis, Ethiopians, Congolese and Burundians was intercepted by police and handed over to us.
"They intended to illegally cross the border into South Africa under the guise of being refugees. They did not have documents from the first country of safety to prove their status," he said.
Mr Gwede said the truck driver who was transporting the illegal immigrants was also arrested on charges of assisting border jumpers.
The undocumented "refugees" were on Wednesday ferried to Tongogara Refugee Camp in Chipinge following assistance from United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
Mr Gwede said the group had been kept at a temporary holding centre in Beitbridge prior to its departure.
Several refugees from East and Central Africa, mostly Somalis, have since the beginning of May, been continuously flocking into the country on transit to South Africa through Beitbridge Border Post.
Co-Minister of Home Affairs Kembo Mohadi was recently quoted as saying that the flooding of illegal immigrants at the Beitbridge Border Post was a result of some rogue elements purporting to be refugees and seeking to illegally cross into South Africa.
Minister Mohadi said refugees seeking permits to cross borders could be assisted but only when proper procedures were followed.
About 100 Somalis, most of which had no documents to prove their refugee status, were the first group to be denied entry at the South African entry port. The barring of the Somalis to enter South Africa followed the recent enactment of the Refugee Amendment Bill by the South African Parliament.
According to international immigration law, refugees are only allowed to proceed to the next country to apply for an asylum permit once they are conferred the refugee status by the first country of safety.
The first group of Somalis, numbering 97, which was refused entry into South Africa, is suspected to have used illegal entry points along the crocodile-infested Limpopo River to cross the border. The refugees use Zimbabwe as their transit point to South Africa after having entered the country through Nyamapanda Border Post.
Source - chronicle
