Immigration nab 10 Ethiopians as 212 Congolese refugees get repatriated

The Department of Immigration has intensified its border security and regional management efforts, following a recent intelligence-led operation in the Highlands area of Kazungula District that resulted in the apprehension of ten Ethiopian nationals. According to official reports issued by Department of Immigration Chief Public Relations Officer Namati Nshinka, the operation was executed by a joint team of immigration and armed police officers. Initial sweeps in the late hours yielded three Ethiopian males, while subsequent follow-up operations led to the detention of seven additional individuals. Authorities noted that out of the ten apprehended, seven carried valid Ethiopian passports, one possessed an identification card, and two remained entirely undocumented. Preliminary investigations indicate that the group was allegedly being ferried toward the Zambezi River for illegal transit across the border, marking yet another node in the complex human smuggling corridors stretching from the Horn of Africa down toward South Africa. During the initial Kazungula sweep, three local Zambian nationals suspected of acting as facilitators managed to evade capture alongside an undetermined number of migrants. The Department of Immigration has reiterated its stern warning to citizens against aiding, harboring, or facilitating unlawful transit, emphasizing that local complicity undermines national security and fuels transnational criminal networks. In a parallel development highlighting Zambia's multi-faceted approach to regional migration and humanitarian obligations, the Chipungu Immigration Office oversaw the voluntary repatriation of 212 Congolese refugees. Originating from the Mantapala Refugee Settlement in Nchelenge, the repatriation was conducted under the broader framework coordinated by the Office of the Commissioner for Refugees. Immigration personnel facilitated all mandatory exit formalities to guarantee a safe, orderly, and dignified departure for the refugees