By Abisola THOMPSON
Immigration authorities in Zambia on Thursday said that 99 foreigners were arrested for various immigration offenses during operations conducted countrywide.
Namati Nshinka, spokesperson of the Immigration Department, said the prohibited immigrants were arrested during operations conducted between Feb. 8 and 12 in different parts of the country.
She said 53 of those arrested were for the offense of unlawful stay, 27 for unlawful entry and 15 for unlawful entry and stay.
The department also arrested two Zambians for aiding illegal immigrants while one other person was arrested for being outside a refugee camp and another for working without an immigration permit.
He further said the department also secured 14 convictions of foreigners from various parts of world ranging for offenses of unlawful stay, illegal entry, doing business without permits and working without a valid employment permit.
In another development, the Zambian cabinet on Thursday approved a bill meant to provide for the promotion and protection of the rights of persons with mental illnesses.
The Mental Health Bill, to be enacted during the current sitting of the parliament, will also result in the creation of the National Mental Health Commission.
The commission will be a body to be responsible to look into the welfare of people with mental illnesses.
Chief Government spokesperson, Dora Siliya, said this in a statement after the cabinet meeting.
Siliya said the bill was approved during the third sitting of cabinet, adding that it will provide for mental health services in correctional facilities.
“Cabinet is of the view that the enactment of the bill will provide an appropriate mechanism for the better management and treatment of persons with mental illness, mental disorder, mental impairment or mental disability,”
She further said the bill will give effect to certain provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, principles for the protection of persons with mental illness.
Others are improvement of mental care and other international instruments to which Zambia is a state party.—Xinhua
