16 Feb 2015

Tati West MP, Mr Biggie Butale, says for any country to prosper, immigrants with requisite skills are needed. 

Debating the labour and home affairs budget proposal, he said "government must loosen our grip a bit to allow more immigrants to develop our country".

Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Mr Edwin Batshu, had in his presentation stated that his office had received about 16 000 work and residence permit applications and using the Point Based System, 11 739 applications were approved while 4,186 were rejected.

Mr Butale said he appreciated the system that was used to asses applications but had it that the rejection rate was too high and called for the criteria used to be slightly loosened so as to allow more immigrants into the country which he said would be beneficial to the economy, “We shouldn’t be apprehensive of welcoming them,” he said.

Putting his views across on the system MP for Okavango Mr Balatatia Arone expressed reservations on the system processes. He said a barometer or criterion used for assessing immigrants should be categorized instead of one flat measure because people are from different backgrounds. 

“The system should be categorised for urban areas and rural areas,” he said. Further he said government should not be overly protective of its citizens and therefore should encourage Batswana to compete, and therefore the level of skills transfer from these immigrants should be a concern to government instead.

Leader of Opposition and MP for Gaborone Bonnington North Mr Duma Boko also expressed concern at the high rejection rate adding that this left the minister faced with application appeals resulting in inordinate delays. 

The Umbrella For Democratic Change leader said the security vetting process applied in the Point Based System tended to operate from an approach that criminalises immigrants, who more often than not are innocent.

He said for those that are declared illegal immigrants the ministry must ensure that they are treated with integrity without security agents’ interference, “Let us not humiliate them when we have declared them unwanted,” he said. Mr Boko called for a ‘proper’ social security which he said will address an array of issues ranging from housing to health when illegal immigrants are detained adding that these are human rights matters that should be taken into consideration.

Francistown South MP Mr Wynter Mmolotsi also fell along the same thinking line adding that foreigners where necessary should be assisted to get work and residence permits lest we be deemed xenophobic by other nations. 

He decried localisation of posts adding that citizens from other nations are taking over posts that should be reserved for Batswana, “We cannot import foreigners to come into Botswana for example, to come receive stock, which can otherwise be done by a Motswana” he said.

Further he said Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs should deal with the issue of citizenship denouncements with prudence. He said the ministry should find ways of reducing unnecessary delays. ENDS