67 illegal workers from India arrested in Malawi sugar factory raid

The Immigration Department officials arrested a group of 67 illegal workers – all Indian national –  at the Salima Sugar Factory for working without work permits. during a raid on Wednesday barely a day after Minister of Homeland Security Richard Chimwendo Banda paid a surprise visit to the factory .

The immigration officers surrounded the Salima Sugar Factory following Minister Chimwendo Banda’s discovery that Indian nationals were working without work permits as required by law.

They guarded all exits at the premises in to make sure no one escaped during the raid.

After questioning the occupants and checking identity documents, officers arrested 60 men on suspicion of working illegally.

Spokesperson for  Immigration Department in Central Region, Elack Banda, said those arrested are male Indians who came into the country mid June and have been working without employment permits.

He said this is against section 21(1) of the Immigration Act , which require foreign nationals working in Malawi to have an employment permit.

Salima Sugar Factory is a public limited company with 60 percent of its shares held by the Aum Sugar Company Limited of India and 40 percent of its shares are held by the government of Malawi under Greenbelt Authority.