Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
Over 759 million kwacha was collected by the Department of Immigration in 2021 against an annual target of 357,000,859.
Announcing the development during the Senior and Regional Immigration Officers Annual Conference in Lusaka, Immigration Department Director General Denny Lungu says the Department collected beyond the target by over 401 million kwacha, attributing it to the diligence, commitment and hard work of the officers.
And Dr. Lungu has revealed that the Immigration Department witnessed an unprecedented number of Ethiopian nationalities entering the country illegally through eastern province.
He further disclosed that the department during the period under review arrested 6,040 persons, detained 6,648 persons, prosecuted 3, 331, deported 455 people, removed 6,762 prohibited immigrants, facilitated a total of 965,217 entries and 866,738 exits throughout the country’s borders and airports.
Dr. Lungu also stated that the department also faced several challenges that include inadequate and poor infrastructure, lacked a training school and the COVID 19 pandemic which claimed the lives of 15 immigration officers.
And officiating at the event, Home Affairs and Internal Security Minister Jack Mwiimbu has assured governments support towards the Department of Immigration’s efforts in securing the country’s long border line to curb illegal border crossings.
The minister has also assured of pushing for funds to help address some of the infrastructure challenges that the department is facing such as the lack of training school, dilapidated structures and the roll out of the Zambia Immigration Management System (ZIMS).