Corrupt officials allow back illegal immigrants-ministry
By Malela Kassim
23rd October 2013
Home Affairs Ministry has vowed to act against unscrupulous and
corrupt public servants allowing illegal immigrants to secretly return
to the country without following regulations.
The government has also instructed all district and regional security
and defense committees to cooperate with immigration and police
officers in identifying all illegal immigrants coming back, according
to the ministry’s spokesperson Isaack Nantanga.
The ministry’s directive follows reports that hundreds of illegal
immigrants who were removed during the first and second phases of
‘Kimbunga Operation’ were returning to the country with their
properties.
“We’re alerted of massive return of immigrants particularly those from
Rwanda, Burundi and other neighbouring countries who were nabbed and
returned to their countries,” he told The Guardian in an exclusive
interview yesterday.
Without giving details, Nantanga said the government had spent massive
human and financial resources in the execution of Kimbunga operations
and that it was likely more money would be spent to remove illegal
immigrants.
He said police, defense and security committees in Kagera, Kigoma and
Geita regions have been informed of the government directives.
He stressed that strong legal action will be taken against government
officials and executives suspected to have actively assisted illegal
immigrants to return to the country.
Commenting on the Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) call to the
government to prioritise collection of biometric information in the
focus regions of operation ‘Kimbunga’, Nantanga said the idea is good
but budget constraints have impeded the entire national identification
process.
A journalist Daud Mugalura speaking to this paper directly from Kagera
blamed corrupt officials in the operation for the illegal immigrants’
return.
Mugalura who is with the team dispatched by LHRC to Kagera, Kigoma,
Burundi and Rwanda on a mission to assess the situation after the
operation, said some illegal immigrants in Rwanda and Burundi camps
were not happy seeing their colleague ‘intruders’ not being affected
by the operation.
He said the majority of illegal immigrants who are financially stable
were left in the country during the operation while poor ones were
evicted.
“Those in Burundi and Rwanda are also vowing to come back just because
some were not taken during the operation,” he informed.
He said economic stagnation in Rwanda and Burundi has led the majority
of Rwanda and Burundi nationals to flock to Ngara, Karagwe and Kigoma
districts searching for jobs.

Issac Nantanga, Communication and Information Officer of the Ministry
for Home Affairs
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
http://www.ippmedia.com/frontend/index.php?l=60717
