09 Dec 2014

A total of 17 persons were declared prohibited immigrants under section 7(f) of the repealed Immigration Act Cap 25:02 for the period of April 2008 to September 2011, Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Mr Edwin Batshu has said.

Answering a question in Parliament on December 8, Mr Batshu said the section stated that “subject to this act, the following persons shall be prohibited immigrants and their entry into or presence within Botswana is unlawful; (f) any person, in consequence of information received from any source deemed by the President to be reliable, is declared by the President to be undesirable inhabitant of or visitor to Botswana,”

He said in terms of the revised act, for the period from October 2011 to September 2014 a total of 710 persons were declared prohibited immigrants by the State President in terms of Section 41 (1) (a) of the act and 143 persons were declared prohibited immigrants under Section 41 (1) (c).

Mr Batshu noted that in October 2014, Section 41 was amended to give the power to make an order declaring a person a prohibited immigrant under Section $1 (1) (a) and (b) to the Minister and following this amendment, no one was declared a prohibited immigrant by his Excellency the President.

MP for Selibe-Phikwe West Mr Dithapelo Keorapetse had asked the Minister to state the number of foreign nationals declared prohibited immigrants by His Excellency the President since April 2008 to date. ENDS