adminThupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
THE Department of Immigration in conjunction with police have intercepted 38 Ethiopian immigrants who intended to illegally cross into South Africa through undesignated entry points along the Limpopo River.The illegal immigrants were arrested yesterday at about 10am at Lutumba tollgate, about 23km out of Beitbridge town following the interception of a cross-border bus, which was carrying them.
The bus they were travelling in belongs to Senator Express Bus Company. It has been established that the Ethiopians entered the country from Mozambique through an illegal crossing point.
The officer commanding police in Beitbridge District, Chief Superintendent Lawrence Chinhengo, said the group will appear in court on charges of entry by evasion.
“We received a tip-off that there were 38 Ethiopians who were being transported to South Africa by a cross border bus, which was coming from Mutare. We then teamed up with immigration authorities and waylaid them at Lutumba tollgate,” he said.
Chief Supt Chinhengo said three bus crew members, Richmore Mundihwo (40), Misheck Demhe (33) and Roselyne Munhenga (29) were also arrested and were assisting police with investigations.
“We have had a number of such cases where these illegal immigrants illegally enter the country through Mutare and they would have been assisted by an organised syndicate.
“We do not tolerate criminal activities such as irregular migration and we have intensified our investigations,” said Chief Supt Chinhengo.
The suspects who are aged between 20 and 30 were reportedly picked by a Mutare businessman at a Mutare lodge who facilitated the deal.
In May 2011, Zimbabwean and South African immigration officials met and agreed to deal decisively with illegal immigrants, mainly from countries in the Horn of Africa that were accessing the two countries without proper documents.
The resolution was made following a meeting in Beitbridge between security agents and immigration officials from both countries.
The barring of East Africans from entering South Africa also follows the recent enactment of the Refugee Amendment Bill by the SA Parliament.
The refugees use Zimbabwe as their transit point to South Africa after having entered that country illegally. Most of the East African refugees do not have relevant documents and, according to international immigration laws, refugees are supposed to have referral clearance letters from their first country of safety before they can be allowed to proceed to the next country.
Several undocumented refugees from East and Central Africa have been flocking into Zimbabwe in transit to South Africa through the Beitbridge Border Post.
Online Reporter