Jail time if caught employing illegal immigrants, Iipumbu warns
Immigration laws inconsistently enforced
Unable to seek help from law enforcement, undocumented immigrants are often vulnerable to exploitation, while some resort to crime and become difficult to trace once they flee across the border.
Home affairs and immigration minister Lucia Iipumbu says Namibia may not have consistently enforced certain laws regarding illegal immigrants, but the time has come to jail anyone who employs undocumented foreigners.
Iipumbu's comments follow a Namibian Sun investigation that revealed that some foreign nationals, mostly Angolans, enter Namibia on 90-day visitor permits with the goal of finding jobs.
In an interview on Sunday, the minister emphasised that non-citizens must obtain a work permit before looking for jobs, irrespective of their country of origin.
“But also, maybe one thing I need to touch on is the fact that for some time now, we have never enforced, maybe to the core, the various aspects of those illegal immigrants," Iipumbu added.
The minister additionally underscored that the state will not hesitate to enforce laws that prohibit employing children under the age of 18.
“You can be imprisoned because you would have contravened specific laws that are in place. Maybe labour laws, maybe employment laws and maybe the immigration laws, which have various requirements,” she said.
Stick to the law
The precarious status of undocumented immigrants leaves them vulnerable to exploitation and meagre wages, as they cannot turn to law enforcement or other state agencies for help.
Some undocumented individuals may also pose a threat to society.
Namibian Sun has reported on several cases in which undocumented workers, including cattle herders and domestic staff, have committed serious crimes, including rape and murder, before fleeing back to their countries.
Police spokesperson Deputy Commissioner Kauna Shikwambi yesterday said it is difficult to investigate crimes involving illegal immigrants.
Shikwambi called on community members, including local farmers, to refrain from employing people who lack the requisite documentation, including work permits.
Several farmers have suffered livestock losses due to theft by farm workers, both Namibian citizens and illegal immigrants, who often work together.
Shikwambi warned that when caught, both the employer and illegal workers face arrest and will be dealt with by the courts.
“It is already a challenge when the police arrest a person who does not have any documents. It becomes more challenging for the police to investigate and arrest a person who has fled,” she added.
Easy to slip across
In 2019, Namibian Sun reported that an Angolan national fled to his country after murdering the mother of his three children at Sikali village in the Kavango West region.
The orphaned children are now under the care of their grandmother.
At the time of his arrest, it was noted that the lack of a bilateral extradition agreement between Namibia and Angola made it difficult for the Namibian Police to secure his return from Angola.
Former police chief, Inspector General Sebastian Ndeitunga, previously indicated that authorities rely on Southern African Development Community and African Union extradition protocols to pursue arrests.
Due to the porous border between Namibia and Angola, such cases are reportedly common in towns and villages along the border.
Way forward
Shikwambi said although the police, together with various stakeholders including immigration officials, are working to root out the problem, it remains a mammoth task.
“When there are criminal elements involved when it comes to illegal immigrants, we and immigration arrest the people,” she explained.
Iipumbu indicated that the ministry is working hard to address the issue, including through legal reforms such as establishing designated entry points for asylum seekers.
Discussions are also currently underway to examine various categories of work permits, she added.
“Maybe the payments are a little bit high. We need to look at those work permits and perhaps categorise them. There could be one for farm workers. There could be others for those that are working in households and those that are looking after livestock," the minister said.
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Iipumbu's comments follow a Namibian Sun investigation that revealed that some foreign nationals, mostly Angolans, enter Namibia on 90-day visitor permits with the goal of finding jobs.
In an interview on Sunday, the minister emphasised that non-citizens must obtain a work permit before looking for jobs, irrespective of their country of origin.
“But also, maybe one thing I need to touch on is the fact that for some time now, we have never enforced, maybe to the core, the various aspects of those illegal immigrants," Iipumbu added.
The minister additionally underscored that the state will not hesitate to enforce laws that prohibit employing children under the age of 18.
“You can be imprisoned because you would have contravened specific laws that are in place. Maybe labour laws, maybe employment laws and maybe the immigration laws, which have various requirements,” she said.
Stick to the law
The precarious status of undocumented immigrants leaves them vulnerable to exploitation and meagre wages, as they cannot turn to law enforcement or other state agencies for help.
Some undocumented individuals may also pose a threat to society.
Namibian Sun has reported on several cases in which undocumented workers, including cattle herders and domestic staff, have committed serious crimes, including rape and murder, before fleeing back to their countries.
Police spokesperson Deputy Commissioner Kauna Shikwambi yesterday said it is difficult to investigate crimes involving illegal immigrants.
Shikwambi called on community members, including local farmers, to refrain from employing people who lack the requisite documentation, including work permits.
Several farmers have suffered livestock losses due to theft by farm workers, both Namibian citizens and illegal immigrants, who often work together.
Shikwambi warned that when caught, both the employer and illegal workers face arrest and will be dealt with by the courts.
“It is already a challenge when the police arrest a person who does not have any documents. It becomes more challenging for the police to investigate and arrest a person who has fled,” she added.
Easy to slip across
In 2019, Namibian Sun reported that an Angolan national fled to his country after murdering the mother of his three children at Sikali village in the Kavango West region.
The orphaned children are now under the care of their grandmother.
At the time of his arrest, it was noted that the lack of a bilateral extradition agreement between Namibia and Angola made it difficult for the Namibian Police to secure his return from Angola.
Former police chief, Inspector General Sebastian Ndeitunga, previously indicated that authorities rely on Southern African Development Community and African Union extradition protocols to pursue arrests.
Due to the porous border between Namibia and Angola, such cases are reportedly common in towns and villages along the border.
Way forward
Shikwambi said although the police, together with various stakeholders including immigration officials, are working to root out the problem, it remains a mammoth task.
“When there are criminal elements involved when it comes to illegal immigrants, we and immigration arrest the people,” she explained.
Iipumbu indicated that the ministry is working hard to address the issue, including through legal reforms such as establishing designated entry points for asylum seekers.
Discussions are also currently underway to examine various categories of work permits, she added.
“Maybe the payments are a little bit high. We need to look at those work permits and perhaps categorise them. There could be one for farm workers. There could be others for those that are working in households and those that are looking after livestock," the minister said.
[email protected]
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