Tanzania: Close to 8,000 Aliens Leave
Bukoba — SOME 7,858 illegal immigrants who
were hiding in several villages in Kagera Region have left for their
countries of origin in the past two weeks, the Kagera Regional
Immigration Officer, Mr George Kombe, has said.
He said 4, 991 of those who left were Rwandans, 2, 631 Burundians and 192 Ugandans. The departure was in response to the directive by President Jakaya Kikwete who asked people living in the country illegally to leave within two weeks, otherwise force would be used against them.
"The response to the president's directive is good," Mr Kombe said. The deadline expired on Sunday. Mr Kombe said 4,748 aliens left through Rusumo border point, 522 Kabanga and 676 through Murongo in Karagwe District.
He said 78 went through Murusagamba border point in Ngara District, adding that 31 aliens left through Mutukula, 22 Bugango and 1,734 others Mugoma. Similarly, 1, 996 cattle were taken back to Rwanda by their owners through Rusumo border post between Sunday and Monday, he said.
Mr Kombe further said aliens were not entitled to own land, therefore those leaving the country following the president's order should not sell the land.
He said the order was not targetting a particular country, but was aimed at checking incidents of armed robbery and illegal grazing. He said a census conducted in 2006, showed that Kagera Region had a 32,000 illegal immigrants from Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Mr Kombe said during an operation conducted last year in all seven districts of Muleba, Bukoba, Biharamulo, Ngara, Karagwe, Kyerwa and Misenyi 22,100 aliens were rounded up.
"Some of the aliens were repatriated while others were given temporary resident permits. However, there was still a big number of illegal immigrants hiding in various villages," he said. Meanwhile, as the exercise of screening aliens in villages in Kagera Region is going on, there are reports of confusion in identification.
Sources said some of the residents in Ngara, Karagwe and Kyerwa districts resemble Rwandans and Burundians. The Ward Councillor for Igurwa, in Karagwe District, Mr Salvatory Kalabamu, said there were many people from Ngara District who were working as labourers in Burundi and Rwanda. "We have requested these people to produce identities to prove they were Tanzanians," he said.
He said 4, 991 of those who left were Rwandans, 2, 631 Burundians and 192 Ugandans. The departure was in response to the directive by President Jakaya Kikwete who asked people living in the country illegally to leave within two weeks, otherwise force would be used against them.
"The response to the president's directive is good," Mr Kombe said. The deadline expired on Sunday. Mr Kombe said 4,748 aliens left through Rusumo border point, 522 Kabanga and 676 through Murongo in Karagwe District.
He said 78 went through Murusagamba border point in Ngara District, adding that 31 aliens left through Mutukula, 22 Bugango and 1,734 others Mugoma. Similarly, 1, 996 cattle were taken back to Rwanda by their owners through Rusumo border post between Sunday and Monday, he said.
Mr Kombe further said aliens were not entitled to own land, therefore those leaving the country following the president's order should not sell the land.
He said the order was not targetting a particular country, but was aimed at checking incidents of armed robbery and illegal grazing. He said a census conducted in 2006, showed that Kagera Region had a 32,000 illegal immigrants from Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Mr Kombe said during an operation conducted last year in all seven districts of Muleba, Bukoba, Biharamulo, Ngara, Karagwe, Kyerwa and Misenyi 22,100 aliens were rounded up.
"Some of the aliens were repatriated while others were given temporary resident permits. However, there was still a big number of illegal immigrants hiding in various villages," he said. Meanwhile, as the exercise of screening aliens in villages in Kagera Region is going on, there are reports of confusion in identification.
Sources said some of the residents in Ngara, Karagwe and Kyerwa districts resemble Rwandans and Burundians. The Ward Councillor for Igurwa, in Karagwe District, Mr Salvatory Kalabamu, said there were many people from Ngara District who were working as labourers in Burundi and Rwanda. "We have requested these people to produce identities to prove they were Tanzanians," he said.
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