Tanzania nabs over 40 illegal workers

President Jakaya Kikwete’s government is in the soup over the theft and waste of Sh644m through illegal billing. PHOTO | FILE 

By Beldina Nyakeke, The Citizen

In Summary

• Speaking to The Citizen yesterday in his office, the Mara regional immigration officer, Mr Ali Dady, said that 24 illegal immigrants were from Kenya, 17 from Ethiopia, five from Uganda and one from Rwanda.
• The office managed to return 36 illegal immigrants back to their home countries, while eight others have been charged tried for illegal residence.

Musoma. Forty seven undocumented immigrants have been arrested by the immigration department in  operation “Kimbunga” between October and November this year.

Speaking to The Citizen yesterday in his office, the Mara regional immigration officer, Mr Ali Dady, said that 24 illegal immigrants were from Kenya, 17 from Ethiopia, five from Uganda and one from Rwanda.

He said that his office managed to repatriate 36 illegal immigrants back to their home countries, while eight others have been charged with illegal stay at the Musoma Resident Magistrate’s Court. Three others are still being held for further interrogation.

Mr Dady said that due to the operation exercise, they realised that most of the illegal immigrants entered the country through the Kenya- Tanzania boarder at Sirari area in Tarime District. He went on by saying that while illegal  immigrants previously entered the country using busses, nowadays they have changed the means and instead they use motorcycles popularly  known as bodaboda to pass through the border without problems.

He also said that they realised that the illegal immigrants are getting support from Tanzanians including village leaders who help them to enter the country.

“There are  Tanzanians, including village leaders, who support these illegal immigrants to enter the country and they do so because they are paid by the illegal immigrants,” he explained. This has caused officers decided to strengthen security.