11 Dec 2016

Minister of Nationality, Immigration and Gender Affairs, Mr Edwin Batshu has told Parliament that the ministry has received 5 909 applications for visa and 12 688 applications for residence and work permits in the past 12 months,
He said 5 137 visa applications were approved and 772 were turned down while 10 648 residence and work permit applications were approved and 2040 were unsuccessful.

He said in the last  12 months, 200 foreign nationals were deported, 179 for committing crimes while in Botswana in terms of Section 41(1) (a) of the Immigration Act which reads “an immigrant who not having received a free pardon, has been sentenced to imprisonment without option of a fine in Botswana.”

Mr Batshu also informed Parliament that 21 applications were adopted under section 41(1) (c) of the Act which reads “a person, who in consequence of information received from reliable source, is declared by the President to be prohibited immigrant.” Mr Batshu said none of applicants pursued their matter through the courts and none was denied access to the courts.

He was responding to questions from Francistown South MP, Mr Wynter Mmolotsi who had wanted to know the number of applications for visas, residence and work permits that were received in the last 12 months.
MP Mmolotsi also wanted to know how many of those were approved and those turned down.

Mr Mmolotsi further asked the minister to brief Parliament the number of people who were deported in the last 12 months and the reasons thereof, and to also to find out as to who pursued their cases in the courts. ENDS