Immigration nabs 53 suspected illegal immigrants in Lusaka

The Department of Immigration has apprehended 53 suspected illegal immigrants aged between 17 and 45 during a clean-up operation across several parts of Lusaka.

The operation, conducted on April 9, 2025, targeted areas including COMESA Market, Kamwala Market, Bauleni, Chainda, Kaunda Square, Kalingalinga, and Chilenje.

Department spokesperson, Namati Nshinka, confirmed the arrests in a statement issued Friday.

Those detained include 25 Burundians, 14 Congolese, eight Tanzanians, three Rwandese, two Egyptians, and one Ugandan.

One Egyptian was arrested for overstaying on a Temporary Permit, while the other was found conducting business on a Visiting Permit. The rest were undocumented and operating without valid immigration papers.

“All 53 are currently detained pending immigration formalities and possible prosecution,” Nshinka said.

He added that the Lusaka operation brought the nationwide total of apprehensions on April 9 to 92.

Meanwhile, in a separate case, the Kitwe Magistrate Court convicted and fined a 33-year-old Tanzanian driver, Ibrahim Teckson Hayola, K50,000 or, in default, six months’ simple imprisonment.

Hayola, arrested at Sabina Checkpoint in Nakonde on March 17, had overstayed his business visit and falsely claimed Zambian citizenship using a fraudulently obtained NRC.

Nshinka said the Immigration Department secured 30 prosecutions countrywide on April 9, removed seven illegal immigrants, and denied entry to three individuals who failed to meet Zambia’s entry requirements.