Immigration apprehends 10 Ethiopians in Kazungula, repatriates 212 Congolese refugees

The Department of Immigration in Kazungula has apprehended ten Ethiopian nationals in an intelligence-led operation, as 212 Congolese refugees were voluntarily repatriated from Mantapala Refugee Settlement in Nchelenge. The operation in the Highlands area of Kazungula District began in the late hours of Saturday, August 8, 2026 and involved four Immigration Officers and three armed Police Officers. In a statement issued in Lusaka on Monday, Department of Immigration Chief Public Relations Officer, Namati Nshinka, said initial arrests yielded three Ethiopian males.

During that operation, three Zambian males suspected of facilitating the movement of the Ethiopians towards the Zambezi River, together with an unknown number of Ethiopian nationals, managed to evade the officers. Preliminary investigations indicate the group was allegedly being transported to the Zambezi River for onward movement across the border. Nshinka said a follow-up operation in the early hours of Sunday, August 9, 2026 resulted in seven more arrests.

“The operation, involving four (4) Immigration Officers and three (3) armed Police Officers, commenced in the late hours of Saturday, 8th August 2026 and initially resulted in the apprehension of three (3) Ethiopian males,” he stated. Of the 10 Ethiopians now in custody, seven were found in possession of valid Ethiopian passports, one had an Ethiopian identification card, and two were undocumented. Nshinka said investigations had been instituted to establish their immigration status, the circumstances surrounding their presence in the area, and the persons involved in facilitating their movement.

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He stated that authorities were also pursuing the suspected facilitators who escaped. “The Department is also pursuing the suspected facilitators who escaped during the operation and reiterates its warning to members of the public against aiding, harbouring or facilitating persons in contravention of immigration laws,” Nshinka said. Meanwhile, in a separate operation, the Chipungu Immigration Office facilitated the voluntary repatriation of 212 Congolese refugees on Friday, 7th August 2026.

He said the repatriation was undertaken as part of the ongoing voluntary repatriation exercise coordinated by the Office of the Commissioner for Refugees. Immigration Officers facilitated the necessary immigration formalities to ensure the orderly departure of the refugees from Zambia,” Nshinka noted.

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