Department of Immigration Arrests 21 Foreign Nationals in Illegal Gold Mining Crackdown

Immigration officials have arrested 21 foreign nationals suspected of illegal gold mining in the Mufumbwe District, as part of a wider crackdown on immigration violations.

The operation, conducted on 16 June by the Solwezi Regional Immigration Office working with local officials, netted 17 Tanzanian nationals, two Chinese citizens and two Indians, according to Immigration Chief Public Relations Officer Namati Nshinka.

"The Department of Immigration has continued its nationwide enforcement efforts against illegal immigration and unlawful activities by foreign nationals," Mr Nshinka said in a statement on Wednesday.

All 21 suspects remain in detention pending further investigation and potential legal action.

The Mufumbwe arrests were part of a coordinated day of action that saw immigration authorities apprehend a total of 44 individuals across the country for various immigration-related offences.

In a separate operation in the Isoka District, officials deported 22 illegal immigrants who had completed prison sentences for immigration violations. The group included nationals from Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi who had been convicted for either failing to report to immigration officers upon entry or overstaying their permitted time in the country.

Meanwhile, in the Kalomo District, two foreign nationals were convicted and fined for unlawful stay. A 39-year-old Zimbabwean, and a 19-year-old Namibian, were each sentenced to pay 10,000 kwacha or face six months imprisonment.

Both individuals were caught during routine compliance checks in the Mukwela area while travelling on public transport from the capital Lusaka, having overstayed their permitted time in the country. 

Immigration officials say the crackdown forms part of broader efforts to ensure foreign nationals comply with the country's immigration laws and do not engage in activities beyond the scope of their permitted stay.

"The Department of Immigration urges all foreign nationals intending to enter or stay in Zambia to do so within the confines of the law and refrain from engaging in activities inconsistent with their immigration status," Mr Nshinka said.

The 27 convictions secured on 16 June alone underscore the scale of immigration enforcement efforts currently underway across the nation.