Immigration Officer in the region, Vivian Kasambo, told Zodiak Online on Thursday that his office is responding to the order and the three will be deported soon after issuing them one-way travel documents, probably after the long weekend.

The three were arrested after failing to produce valid papers to stay in Malawi, contrary to Section 5 (b) of the Immigration Act during a sweeping exercise conducted by the immigration department and police in the region.

“We have already communicated to their relatives or those that are closer to them to make sure that this arrangement of deporting them is done as quickly as possible,” said Kasambo, who described them as economic migrants.

“They just came recently; they are not refugees or asylum seekers as people might think, they just come here to look for opportunities, so we caught them and brought before the court who ordered that we deport them to their country of origin,” explained Kasambo, clarifying that the arrest has nothing to do with government’s order that is being challenged in court to return refugees to Dzaleka. 

The eastern region immigration chief said people should expect more action on these issues as they have intensified operations in the region.

According to Kasambo, the two Rwandese, who were doing their businesses at Makawa Trading Centre are now remanded at Mangochi prison while the Egyptian who was doing his business at Balaka is at Zomba maximum prison.