Immigration ministry denies mistreatment of foreign nationals
The immigration ministry has denied allegations of mistreatment towards Angolan and South African nationals.This comes after a whistle-blower within the ministry made claims on social media, through activist Michael Amushelelo, regarding the treatment of foreigners by the ministry’s executive director Etienne Maritz.
The whistle-blower alleged that Maritz “has been treating fellow Africans badly to the point that he told employees to put domicile [applications] on hold because he wants to prioritise Europeans first since his parents are from Germany”.
He further allegedly gave employees instructions to “hand in domicile and permanent residency [documents from] eight Europeans and 16 Chinese nationals, while depriving Angolans and South Africans”.
‘Baseless allegations’
In a statement released last week, acting executive director Jackson Wandjiva said: “The ministry vehemently refutes these baseless allegations by a purported official. They are without merit and intended to mislead the public and undermine the trust in both the ministry and its dedicated staff members”.
He added that the ministry would like to make it categorically clear that the immigration selection board (ISB) operates within a strict framework.
According to him, the ISB comprises six staff members from various government institutions and ministries, five secretariats and two legal support staff. These individuals, he said, act as a collective board mandated to scrutinise all permanent resident applications, making informed and unbiased decisions.
Decisions by the ISB are unanimous and reflect a collective assessment of each applicant’s merits, he said.
Contrary to the allegations, Wandjiva said Maritz does not possess unilateral authority over the ISB’s decisions and that each case is thoroughly reviewed and evaluated by the board members, ensuring the process is fair, accountable and transparent.
The whistle-blower alleged that Maritz “has been treating fellow Africans badly to the point that he told employees to put domicile [applications] on hold because he wants to prioritise Europeans first since his parents are from Germany”.
He further allegedly gave employees instructions to “hand in domicile and permanent residency [documents from] eight Europeans and 16 Chinese nationals, while depriving Angolans and South Africans”.
‘Baseless allegations’
In a statement released last week, acting executive director Jackson Wandjiva said: “The ministry vehemently refutes these baseless allegations by a purported official. They are without merit and intended to mislead the public and undermine the trust in both the ministry and its dedicated staff members”.
He added that the ministry would like to make it categorically clear that the immigration selection board (ISB) operates within a strict framework.
According to him, the ISB comprises six staff members from various government institutions and ministries, five secretariats and two legal support staff. These individuals, he said, act as a collective board mandated to scrutinise all permanent resident applications, making informed and unbiased decisions.
Decisions by the ISB are unanimous and reflect a collective assessment of each applicant’s merits, he said.
Contrary to the allegations, Wandjiva said Maritz does not possess unilateral authority over the ISB’s decisions and that each case is thoroughly reviewed and evaluated by the board members, ensuring the process is fair, accountable and transparent.
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article