MP pushes for crackdown on illegal aliens

NAMIBIA should arrest all illegal immigrants and deport them to their countries of origin, says a Swapo MP in the National Council.

Henock Kankoshi, a Regional Councillor from the Oshikoto Region, said it was an open secret that there were many non-Namibians employed as cattle herders at some cattle posts and subsistence farms in the country. He charged that most of these people did not even have temporary or permanent residence or work permits.According to Kankoshi, when these people saw a vehicle with a green registration plate approaching, they ran away thinking it had come to arrest them.”They have to run away wildly into the thick bush, leaving behind unattended cattle, only to return when the GRN vehicle has left,” said Kankoshi.Kankoshi was speaking during debate last week on the N$119 million budget allocation of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration in the 2007-2008 National Budget.He said Namibia’s laws should be respected and all illegal immigrants should be arrested and sent back to their motherlands.’GET MORE MOBILE’ While he was pleased with the Ministry for sending out mobile teams to all regions during the 2006-2007 financial year to issue national documents at schools, Kankoshi said not all schools were covered during the said period.”We have schools like Uukule Senior Secondary School, Amateta, Uukuma, Onanke and Emanya Combined School, which where not visited by the teams from the Ministry last year,” he said.Kankoshi said principals, teachers and pupils at those schools were officially notified that the team would visit their schools, but it did not turn up.He called on the Ministry to make visiting these schools a priority during this financial year.In his contribution, Arma Martin, the Regional Councillor for the Oshakati West constituency, urged the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration to put up better Civic Affairs offices at Ondangwa and Ondangwa and to have satellite offices in all constituencies.The Swapo MP also wants the Ministry to allocate more staff and resources to the Oshana Region.The DTA’s Lydia Kavetu said there was a backlog in issuing national documents in the Kunene Region, as the mobile teams could not visit the most remote places.He charged that most of these people did not even have temporary or permanent residence or work permits.According to Kankoshi, when these people saw a vehicle with a green registration plate approaching, they ran away thinking it had come to arrest them.”They have to run away wildly into the thick bush, leaving behind unattended cattle, only to return when the GRN vehicle has left,” said Kankoshi.Kankoshi was speaking during debate last week on the N$119 million budget allocation of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration in the 2007-2008 National Budget.He said Namibia’s laws should be respected and all illegal immigrants should be arrested and sent back to their motherlands.’GET MORE MOBILE’ While he was pleased with the Ministry for sending out mobile teams to all regions during the 2006-2007 financial year to issue national documents at schools, Kankoshi said not all schools were covered during the said period.”We have schools like Uukule Senior Secondary School, Amateta, Uukuma, Onanke and Emanya Combined School, which where not visited by the teams from the Ministry last year,” he said.Kankoshi said principals, teachers and pupils at those schools were officially notified that the team would visit their schools, but it did not turn up.He called on the Ministry to make visiting these schools a priority during this financial year.In his contribution, Arma Martin, the Regional Councillor for the Oshakati West constituency, urged the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration to put up better Civic Affairs offices at Ondangwa and Ondangwa and to have satellite offices in all constituencies.The Swapo MP also wants the Ministry to allocate more staff and resources to the Oshana Region.The DTA’s Lydia Kavetu said there was a backlog in issuing national documents in the Kunene Region, as the mobile teams could not visit the most remote places.