150 deported from South Africa
The Immigration Department in the Republic of South Africa has deported 150 Malawians for contravening that country’s immigration laws.
The deported, 148 men and two women, arrived at Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) Monday.
Most of the deportees are from the districts of Mzimba and Mangochi.
KIA spokesperson, Martin Gongolo, confirmed the development yesterday, adding that the number is likely to increase.
“If you remember, in December last year, about 300 Malawians came but they arrived in two groups, one in the morning and another in the afternoon, so possibly another group might be coming because usually that is the case. We are expecting others to be coming,” Gongolo said.
Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services national spokesperson, Joseph Chauwa, said it is unfortunate that some Malawians go to South Africa without proper documents.
Chauwa has, therefore, advised people in the country to ensure they have legitimate travelling documents so that they should not be found in such a situation.
“We have always been advising the public to have their papers in place before travelling abroad and, in case they lose their documents, they should report to the nearest police station and Malawi Consular Office for assistance,” Chauwa said.
About 16,369 Malawians have been deported from various Southern African countries in the past four years, with those from South Africa topping the list.
Malawians who usually go abroad in search of greener pasture, have been deported due to among other things, failure to respect laws of the host country and taking up residence without fulfilling the countries’ immigration requirements such as work and other permits.
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