Govt to computerize boarder operations

Details

Category: Local News

Published on Friday, 29 June 2012 19:21

Written by Queen Nhlema

The Malawi government is planning to introduce a computerized system in the country’s borders to restrict the entry of illegal immigrants.

Minister of home affairs and internal security Uladi Mussa, said the current system is manual a situation that leaves the borders porous.

This follows a recent incident where a boat carrying 60 Somali and Ethiopian migrants capsized on Lake Malawi killing 47 of them.

It also comes as 42 migrants suspected to be Ethiopians in transit to Malawi died of suffocation in a track in Tanzania.

Said Mussa: “The computerized system will help to check in a more effective way how people from other countries enter the country.

“So we will soon engage the neighbouring countries into talks on the matter.”

Malawi has been used as a transit route by people from the horn of Africa searching for better economic opportunities elsewhere on the continent.