The Mzuzu Principal Resident Magistrate Court has sentenced 15 Ethiopians to three months imprisonment while four more have been sentenced to four months in prison by the Mzuzu Senior Resident Magistrate Court for illegally entering Malawi.
The Ethiopians were caught by the police and the Department of Immigration officers on the Mtangatanga-Chasato Road and in Mtwalo area in Mzimba District.
Principal Resident Magistrate Clement Chamwenda handed down the three months imprisonment verdict to each of the 15 Ethiopians without the option of a fine.
The decision is in line with the State’s efforts to combat illegal migration by imposing stiff penalties to effectively deter offenders.
All the immigrants will be deported from Malawi at their own expense.
In March alone, the Mzuzu Senior Resident Magistrate Court convicted 99 Ethiopians for illegal entry, all of whom are currently detained at Mzuzu Prison until they complete their sentences and will be subsequently deported.
According to Section 4, Subsection 1(f) of the Malawi Immigration Act, all the 99 Ethiopians are classified as prohibited immigrants in the country.
By Jackson Sichali
