LET’S BE VIGILANT – IMMIGRATION DEPT.

By Lumbiwe Mwanza

INTERNAL security is a prerequisite to any kind of development and therefore the nation’s development is not possible without a strong foundation of internal security, Immigration Department Public Relations Officer Namati Nshinka has said.

Zambia over the years faced security challenges related to human smuggling for years where traffickers used to take advantage of Zambia’s porous borders which turned the country into a transit zone for illegal immigrants’ en-route to South Africa, the continent’s second-biggest economy.

Speaking with The Scoop, Mr. Nshinka said that the department would continue to intercept illegal immigrants who were at times being assisted by Zambians to illegally stay in the country.

“As the Immigration Department we will not relent in urging Zambians to desist from harbouring illegal immigrants as this is a threat to national security. We note with dismay that some of the citizens are harbouring illegal immigrants while others are helping the department to address challenges of illegal immigrants,” Mr. Nshinka said.

He said that issues of security were critical in ensuring that investments in the country were for the Zambian people who should take a leading role in promoting peace as well as maintaining security.

He added that the Immigration Department was moving fast to strengthen border controls and ensure that the Anti-Human-Trafficking Amendment Act was implemented.