Malawi Police Arrested 138 Ethiopian Illegal Immigrants [Nyasa Times]

Police in Mzimba have arrested 138 Ethiopians who were illegally in the  county.

Mzimba Police Station spokesperson Gift Nyirongo confirmed the development in an interview with Nyasa Times  on Tuesday.

Nyirongo said the illegal immigrants were arrested on 16 April near Luwawa forest after Police received a tip off from members of the community.

He said the Police believe these illegal immigrants entered the country through uncharted routes in the Karonga, where Malawi borders Tanzania.

Mzimba police spokesman Gift Nyirongo

Nyirongo also said the Police suspects that these illegal immigrants were being aided by Malawians who later dump them for fear of being arrested.

No Malawian has been arrested in connection to these 138 Ethiopians.

Nyirongo said when interrogated, the illegal immigrants claimed that they had walked all the way from Ethiopia where they are running away from famine.

He said they came to Malawi to seek asylum but Nyirongo quashed this claim saying they would have declared their refugee status at the port of entry into the country.

Police spokesman also wondered if these illegal immigrants were indeed seeking refugee status as they did not posses any documents supporting their claim.

The illegal immigrants, who are being kept at Mzimba Police Station, will be handed over to the Immigration Department in Mzuzu.
http://www.nyasatimes.com