133 Burundians among 143 foreigners removed by Zambia immigration department in enforcement operation

Zambia’s Department of Immigration has removed 143 foreign nationals found to be unlawfully present in the country and deported a Tanzanian national declared a prohibited immigrant, the department said on Wednesday.

The operation, conducted on Tuesday, involved 133 Burundians, seven Rwandans and three Tanzanians, Chief Public Relations Officer, Namati Nshinka, said in a statement.

Nshinka said some of those removed had been convicted of immigration-related offences and were removed after paying court-imposed fines, while others were removed without prosecution.

In a separate action, the department deported 40-year-old Tanzanian national, Misheck Francis Bundala, after his release from lawful custody, where he had served a prison sentence for drug trafficking-related offences.

“Bundala was convicted by the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court on May 27, 2024, on two counts of trafficking in psychotropic substances,” Nshinka said.

Bundala was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment with hard labour on the first count and one year and six months on the second count, with the sentences running concurrently.

Following his release, Bundala was handed over to the Department of Immigration and deported from Zambia as a prohibited immigrant.

Nshinka said the mass removal formed part of the department’s immigration enforcement operations targeting people found to be unlawfully present in the country.

The department has continued to enforce immigration laws through the removal and deportation of foreign nationals found to have violated immigration requirements or declared prohibited immigrants.

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