By PRUDENCE CHOTA  –
THE Lusaka Magistrate’s Court has convicted eight Congolese refugees for leaving a refugee camp without authority.
Of the eight convicts, four were fined K1,000 each or in default four months simple imprisonment and two were sentenced to fines of K5,000 each or in default five months simple imprisonment.
Another Congolese was sentenced to a fine of K1,500 or in default three months simple imprisonment, while another was sentenced to a fine of 1,000 or in default three months simple imprisonment.
This is according to a statement released by Immigration Department public relations officer Namati Nshinka.
The eight were among the 149 detained on July 27, 2014 in Chibolya and Kabwata by a joint team of officers from Zambia Police, Immigration and Registrar of Societies.
So far, 50 from the 149 have been convicted while others will soon appear in court.
Meanwhile, Lusaka regional Immigration Office on Friday last week, removed two Somalis from the country after they paid court fines for unlawful stay and failing to appear before an Immigration Officer.
The office also relocated a Burundese to Maheba Refugee Camp upon payment of a court fine of K1,000 for leaving the refugee camp without authority.
In another development, Immigration in Chirundu intercepted two Burundese adults and two children for concealing their true identity when they presented Tanzanian travel documents.
The Ndola regional Immigration Office on Friday removed two Congolese, one Ugandan and one Somali and relocated three Somali refugees to Maheba Refugee Camp.
While Kitwe Immigration Office on Friday convicted and sentenced a Rwandese national to a fine of K500 or in default six months simple imprisonment for being found outside the refugee camp. He has since been relocated to Maheba refugee camp.
And immigration at Nakonde Border refused eight persons of various nationalities entry into Zambia after failing to meet various entry requirements and removed two Congolese nationals for unlawful entry.