NJOMBE, Tanzania
Tanzanian authorities are
holding 63 illegal immigrants from Ethiopia who were seized in Njombe region,
with about 40 others said to be on the run.
Police said that about 100
Ethiopian immigrants sneaked into Tanzania via Nairobi and Mombasa on their way
to South Africa but the lorry they were travelling in was intercepted following
an accident in the area over the Easter weekend.
Njombe Regional Police
Commander Hamis Issah said that a Scania lorry ferrying the Ethiopians stalled
after it was involved in an accident with a car and the immigrants escaped.
Njombe Regional Immigration
Officer Vincent Haule confirmed the incident and said that 63 Ethiopians, who
looked exhausted, were arrested from a hideout in a nearby farm, and that
police were still searching for about other 40 escapees.
Mr Haule said that the
Ethiopians sneaked into the country through the porous border between Tanzania
and Kenya.
“These Ethiopian nationals
travelled from Nairobi and Mombasa then entered Tanzania through Tanga. We have
arrested 63 and we are searching for 40 who are still on the run,” he said.
Tanzania has been rated the
leading entry point for illegal immigrants from Eastern Africa sneaking to
Southern Africa states to seek economic fortunes.
South Africa, Mozambique,
Namibia and Botswana are the final destinations for immigrants from the Horn of
Africa.
There are 4,419 illegal
immigrants in Tanzanian prisons whose maintenance costs the government about
Tsh5.8 billion ($ 2.5 million) annually.
The annual report of the
Controller and Auditor-General (CAG) for the financial year ended June 30, 2022
that was submitted to the Tanzanian Parliament had indicated that the daily
food budget stood at Tsh 5,000/- ($ 2.1) for each immigrant held in the country
awaiting deportation.
Prohibited immigrants and
deportees who have failed to return to their home countries have been living in
Tanzanian prisons for a period ranging from one to five years, the CAG report
said.
However, the deportation of
the illegal immigrants is a diplomatic issue that requires consultation with
the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and ambassadors from
their countries of citizenry.
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