Immigration - Malawiana.Net Discussion Forum

Members Login

Post Info

TOPIC: Immigration

Tutu

Member

Status: Offline

Posts: 58

Date: Oct 6, 2004

Immigration	Permalink Closed

Immigration wants New Delhi envoy cautioned by Bright Sonani, 06 October 2004 - 08:54:52 The Immigration Department has blamed the Malawian Honorary Consul in New Delhi, India for an influx of illegal Asian immigrants who obtain visas from that office before travelling into the country. The department has since said it would ask the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to review and stop the office, which Immigration officials have said was “not doing a good job” in the issuing of the visas. On Monday the Immigration Department rounded up and arrested 14 Indians from a rest house in Lunzu, Blantyre on suspicion that they were in the country illegally. The foreigners were deported back to India Tuesday noon through Kamuzu International Airport on a Kenyan Airways flight. This is not the first time that the country has deported Indians soon after entering the country. In an interview Tuesday, Immigration Public Relations Officer Bryson Bendala accused the Malawian Honorary Consul in New Delhi of not being serious when issuing visas, a situation which makes it easy for some Asians to use Malawi as gateway to other countries. “Some foreigners cannot be allowed in other countries unless they pass into this country. These people came in as visitors, they obtained their visas from New Delhi. We think the Consul there is not doing a good job and we are taking the matter with Foreign Affairs to stop him,” said Bendala. He explained that normally foreign offices are supposed to ask permission from the Immigration Department before giving out visas, a thing he said the New Delhi office was not doing. Bendala said unfortunately after someone has been issued with a visa the Immigration Department could not turn them down. The 14 Indians were arrested from a rest house where they were reportedly paying K200 a night. Bendala said the first group of nine entered the country on September 28 while the other five came in the following day. Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Lucius Chikuni declined to comment on the New Delhi office saying he was not aware of the problem. “I haven’t been formally informed. I would not want to comment until I am officially informed by the Immigration Department on what their problem is,” said Chikuni. __________________

Page 1 of 1 sorted by

Tweet this page

Post to Digg

Post to Del.icio.us

Create your own FREE Forum
Report Abuse