Botswana’s Immigration Crisis Fake documents cartels rule

• Many foreigners holding fake work permits, Omang
• Mokgware concerned, govt seek to dismantles cartels
• Fake document holders’ scam microlenders, furniture shops

BAKANG TIRO

editors@thepatriot.co.bw

Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs is grappling with a cartel that is behind influx of fake documents issued to foreigners who works and reside in the country illegally therefore invading tax and swindling some of local financial institutions, Labour and Home Affairs minister Pius Mokgware has bemoaned.

Mokgware this week revealed that a quite significant number of foreigners are working with fake permits, perpetuated by the hacking of the system by 13 ministry employees who are now suspended.

According to Mokgware, the suspended employees connived with independent consultants to issue fake work and residence permits, adding that government is on high alert to curbs similar occurrences going forward. “Investigations are continuing against these suspended employees and they will face the law for their actions. There is a deep cartel working on fake permits and it is more than what we have thought. We are upping our game to crackdown on the cartel,” he said.

He noted that the illegal workers are also swindling local microlenders and never repay the loans, adding that this has resulted in collapse of some microlender noting that furniture shops are also victims of the cartel. He said it is difficult to trace or nab such people because after obtaining illegal from microlenders or furniture shops they go back to their countries or move to forge documents with different identities.

Mokgware indicated that the swindlers often reside in Mogoditshane and Tlokweng. “Our operation will soon invade Mogodtishane and Tlokweng. Lot of migrants are in Tlokweng and Mogoditshane and are occupying fake documents. They have fake Omang cards and work permits. They are threat to national security,” he added.

Mokgware also said with resources permitting, there is a need to strengthen border controls and employ more compliance officers in the form of labour inspectors. He added that some foreigners enter the country with fake passports and those who were caught have been deported back to their respective countries, adding that common cases include Mauritius, Malawi, Lesotho and India.

Migration Policy

Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary (PS) Jimmy Opelo noted that migration is a good thing as well as it done within the parameters of the law, adding that Migration Policy adopted by Parliament is crucial. Opelo said the Policy would enable Botswana to take part in the labour migration whereby Batswana workers would be able to work in other countries without any difficulties.

Opelo explained that labour migration is important for the economic growth and forms part of government’s diversification agenda. “We are deliberate about migration and we want to strengthen our systems as country. We want to protect our passport and other national identification symbols. We are worried that our National ID (Omang) is continue to be hacked. We are targeting to introduce a computer generated Omang with distinct features,” he said.

Buttressing the importance of proper labour migration, Mokgware has revealed that government has received P170 million from South Africa to facilitate payments to former Batswana who worked in South African mines.