By Gerald Kitabu
A major and comprehensive nationwide operation that aims at smoking out illegal immigrants has been launched across the country and its borders.
During the operations that will spare no body as it will go through house to house, guest houses, hotels, public and private departments and other hide-outs, will involve all security forces including immigration department, police forces, security organs and TRA.
At a news conference yesterday in Dar es salaam, Immigration Department’s Public Relations Officer Herbert Chilambo said during the operation both illegal immigrants and those harbouring them ’would face a heavy arm of the government.’
Following the magnitude of the operation, Chilambo cautioned owners of hotels, guest houses, bars, companies to disclose illegal immigrants as soon as possible before stern measures are taken against them.
He also called on illegal immigrants across the country to surrender themselves before they are smoked out.
Said he: ’The Immigration Act (No. 7 of 1995), Section 31(1) and (2) thereof prohibits one to harbour illegal immigrants, and any one caught violating this law would be dealt with accordingly.’
He said the government was aware that there are few Tanzanians helping illegal immigrants to secure counterfeit or legal documents through deception, these would also be punished,’ said Chilambo.
He also expressed his concern over a tendency by some Tanzanians to contribute to a recent increase of illegal immigrants saying it was them who provide illegal immigrants means of living in the country.
’Our tolerance have come to an end, it is now time to smoke out illegal immigrants,’ said Chilambo, and called on all Tanzanians to come forward to reveal to the security forces the names and hide-outs of the illegal immigrants.
So far a total of 548 illegal immigrants have been arrested during an operation conducted from January to April this year.
He named the arrested as nationals of Somalia, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Pakistan, Uganda, Burundi, DRC, India, Kenya, Nepal, Bangladesh, British, Malawi,America, S. Africa, Nigeria, Tunisia, China and Comoro.
Source: Guardian, May 6, 2006
