Zimbabwe February 2007 |
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| Police blitz border jumpers, (Zimbabwean, 2007-02-08):-Zimbabwean police have arrested more than 2,000 people attempting to cross the border illegally in a 12-day blitz along the country's extensive border with southern neighbour South Africa. Thirty-one of the 2,189 illegal immigrants picked up while attempting to cross the Limpopo River were Somalis believed to have escaped from holding camps inside Zimbabwe. "We picked (up) some of the criminals on their way to South Africa while others were arrested on their way back to Zimbabwe," police spokesman Andrew Phiri said. He said arrests were part of a police blitz that took place from January 1 and 12. Police have subsequently been deployed to monitor more than 200 points along the Limpopo River used as crossing points for those attempting to cross the border. We are going to continue with our patrols until sanity is brought to the area, said Phiri. South Africa, with its robust economy and strong currency is a destination of choice for Zimbabweans escaping biting economic hardships at home. The South African home affairs department is reported to be deporting about 300 illegal Zimbabwean immigrants a day. Illegal immigrants from East and Central Africa also use Zimbabwe with its porous borders as a conduit to reach South Africa. In December, 12 Somalis were arrested in Zimbabwe while trying to cross the Limpopo, while another 15 were arrested in northern Zimbabwe after they crossed illegally into the country from Zambia. | |
South African Migration Project (SAMP) - Queen's University - http://www.queensu.ca/samp |