The group of Ethiopian illegal immigrants heading to prison from iringa resident magistrate court after sentenced to 3 years imprisonment to in Iringa region. (Photo by Friday Simbaya)
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IRINGA Resident Magistrate Court has sentenced Eighty-three (83) Ethiopian citizens to three years imprisonment or pay fine of 500,000/- each one.
The illegal immigrants were found guilty of being in the country illegally without documents and breaking the law of Immigration Act No. 7 Revised Edition of 2016.
According to the Resident magistrate in charge David Ngunyale who sentenced the illegal immigrants three years imprisonment for illegal entry into the country or pay fine of 500,000/- each and later on return them the home country.
The 83 illegal immigrants appeared in Iringa Region Magistrate Court before Resident Magistrate for allegedly entering into the country without legal documents.
Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Godfrey Ngwijo said before the resident magistrate in charge David Ngunyale that on February 23 this year at Mbigili Village in Mazombe Division of Kilolo district, Iringa Region where the accused persons (illegals) were arrested by immigration officers for illegal entry into the country.
He noted that on unknown date the Ethiopian citizens started that their journey from Ethiopia to Kenya, and again on the unknown date they started their journey from Kenya to Tanzania.
DPP Ngwijo said on the unknown date same illegal immigrants started their journey from Dar es Salaam through chalinze to Iringa travelling in Scania truck with registration number T 903 AKH belonging to Gabriel Mwakyambiki of Tukuyu district in Mbeya region.
The 83 illegal immigrants were pleaded guilty but asked the court to have mercy on them because they were facing difficulty life in their home country through their interpreter Million Sileshi Haile (34), an Ethiopian national and PhD student in agricultural economics from Sokoine University of Morogoro (SUA).
Through their interpreter the 83 illegal immigrants said they were running from their country due to poverty and were going to South Africa to look for better life.
In the case DPP Ngwijo said that the second offense the local Tanzanian Hassan Ferooz (18) a resident of Tukuyu, was accused of transporting Ethiopians to South Africa, but the suspect denied the charges and was remained his case will come again on 6/03/2018 for trial.
However, Eighty-Three Ethiopian nationals including one local Tanzanian, who were arrested on Saturday by the Immigration Department in Iringa Region in collaboration with the police force, have appeared before the court facing charges of breaching the Immigration Act of 2016.
The Immigration Department collaboration with the police once again has intercepted 83Ethiopian illegal immigrants for allegedly entering the country without legal documents.
According Iringa Regional Immigration officer Senior Assistant Commissioner of Immigration Hope Kawawa, the illegal migrants were arrested at Mbigili Village in Kilolo District, Iringa region yesterday.
He said Ethiopians all-male group was arrested alongside one local Tanzania), who was accused of transporting the illegal migrants from Dar es Salaam to South Africa looking greener pasture via Malawi and Zambia.
Senior assistant Commissioner of Immigration Kawawa told the Guardian yesterday that on February 24, local Tanzanian allegedly ferried the illegal immigrants from Dar es Salaam to Iringa region, which were reportedly on their way to South Africa to look for a better life.
The past few days immigration Department in Iringa arrested four Ethiopian nationals bring the number of illegal migrants bringing number to 87 since the start of crackdown on illegal migrants in the region.
He said the migrants were arrested by immigration officers in conjunction with the police force so they continued to question and bring them to court on Monday.
They were found in a sealed Scania Truck with no enough air in vehicle with registration number T 903 AKH belonging to Gabriel Mwakyambiki of Tukuyu in Mbeya Region.
Kawawa said that Iringa region is not a place for immigrants to pass easily but they will continue to arrest them and bring them to law enforcement agencies all in the region and are at work for twenty-four hours.
"Please tell the agents (human traffickers) that transport these migrants to Iringa, is not a safe place to pass those people because we are paying attention 24 hours,” he said.
He said that following the inflow of illegal immigrant Iringa has called on some people to report when they hear some people are not Tanzanians and people who do not know to security agencies so that they can be examined.
He said that the illegal migrants entered the country were not inspected by immigration officials by checking what they had entered and what items were as a weapon that makes security to be in jeopardy.
However, Iringa Regional Immigration Senior Assistant Commissioner of Immigration Hope Kawawa thanked the good Samaritans who tipped them on the presence such people in region and asked general public to continue cooperation the department.
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