14 Aug 2013

Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs deported 62 351 immigrants out of which 61 945 represented illegal immigrants and 406 prohibited immigrants (PIs) in 2011 and 2012.

Minister Edwin Batshu told Parliament that most of the immigrants came from Zimbabwe totaling 62 117 and the rest from African countries and beyond. Mr Batshu said illegal immigrants were deported in terms of Section 6 of the Immigration Act No 3 of 2011 which declares anyone without lawful travel/residence documents an illegal immigrant.

As for prohibited immigrants, they were deported in terms of Section 41 (1) (a) and 41 (1) (c) respectively and that was those who had been imprisoned without option of fine.

Mr Batshu said the other group consisted of those who had been directly declared PIs by the State President in consequence of information received from a reliable source. Out of the 406 PIs, 357 were due to criminal convictions and imprisonment without option of fine while 49 were due to the Presidential Declaration.  

He said over the past two years, his ministry received 10 948 applications for renewal of work and residence permits rejecting 2 191. The reason for rejection included, among others, security consideration, availability of suitable skills, authenticity of information and documents supplied, character of the applicant, commitment to implement localisation plans, proof of investment capital and proof of employment offer.

MP for Francistown South, Mr Wynter Mmolotsi had asked the minister to state the number of people who were deported in the last two years, their countries of origin, reasons for their deportations and the number of those who were denied extension of residential permits and the reasons thereof. Ends