Mozambique to step up fight against illegal immigration and human trafficking – AIM

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Mozambique to step up fight against illegal immigration and human trafficking – AIM

5:42 CAT | 28 Oct 2022

Photo: Domingo

The Mozambican parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, on Thursday (27) passed a government bill revising the legal framework for foreign nationals and sets the requirements for entry, stay and exit the country, as well as rights, duties and guarantees.

The current legislation on the matter came into force over 28 years ago, and needs to be revised.

Introducing the bill Interior Minister, Arsénia Massingue, said that experience acquired over the years by the country authorities on migration management at national, regional and international level, “show the need to adjust the existing legal regime to current challenges the rules of entry, stay and exit of foreign nationals.

According to the minister, it is also necessary to hold transport operators and drivers accountable for carrying undocumented immigrants or those ineligible to enter Mozambique.

The revised law also penalizes companies and individuals who harbour or facilitate the entry and stay of foreign nationals who fail to meet requirements established by law. This seeks to strengthen the actions to prevent and combat illegal immigration and human trafficking.

Also in the context of preventing and combating illegal immigration, the bill aims at strengthening the rules of entry and exit of minors.

The revised law makes it possible to exempt citizens of certain countries from presenting an entry visa whenever the interest of the State so justifies.

“We are convinced that with the approval of this bill the conditions will be created to strengthen control of entry and stay of foreign citizens in our country. We are also convinced that by holding accountable transport operators it will be possible to reduce the cases of illegal immigration”, said Massingue.

The chair of the Assembly’s Commission on International Relations, Catarina Dimande, says that what the bill does not restricts the right to tree movement of persons.

“These are measures that aim at ensuring high level of surveillance and control of Mozambican borders and, consequently, contribute to the prevention and combat of illegal immigration, human trafficking, terrorism and transnational crimes.

According to Dimande, international law “recognises the right and freedom of movement of people from one country to another”.

Dimande added, however, that the general principle of sovereignty establishes that the State has the prerogative to decide on criteria for admission and expulsion of “non-nationals, including those staying illegally, but must respect human rights obligations, as well as agreements or conventions ratified by Mozambique.

In the Commission’s view, Dimande said, the Bill is in line with international legislation on immigration, combating terrorism and respect for human rights to which Mozambique is a State Party.

“The measure [revision] represents a reform of the legislation on migration and an opportunity to bring together dispersed legislation in various legal instruments,” said Dimande, who is also a member of the parliamentary bench of the ruling Frelimo party.

Some deputies, however, expressed their concern over the increasing and daring tactics used by migrants to evade border police and the checkpoints installed all over the country.

Arlindo Maquival, from the parliamentary bench of Renamo, the largest opposition party, said that Mozambique’s problem has nothing to do with the lack of laws. “They exist, but they are not enforced properly because of corruption that does not allow honest people to do their job according the law.”

Maquival warned that “as long as corruption prevails, any law will be a dead letter”.

He said there are a number of foreign nationals holders of Mozambican identity cards and passports, but no one is being held accountable.

Source: AIM