Malawi to open new border posts with Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia
Malawi’s Department of Immigration says it is planning to open new border posts in all the regions bordering with Mozambique, Zambia and Tanzania as one way of controlling illegal immigrants.
Speaking during the inauguration of the 9th Intake of new recruits Immigration Course at Kanjedza Police Training School, Chief Immigration Officer, Hudson Mankhwala said his department will open new border posts with its neighbours to strengthen border areas which are porous.
“We are discussing with our counterparts in Zambia and Mozambique that where we do not have border posts, we should open them.
“Therefore, we intend to open these posts at Chitsenga in Chitipa and other areas in the north, the same applies to Mkanda in Mchinji among other places in the central region and in Chikhwawa and Mulanje in the South,” said Makhwala.
The Chief Immigration Officer was optimistic that the development would help in managing migration into the country thereby curbing the problem of illegal immigrants.
Makhwala added that this would be achieved considering the recruits who will have doubled their staffing thereby enhancing the immigration’s working capacity.
“In the past it had been difficult to man our borders because we have been understaffed. However, with the new recruits, this will be simple since we have beefed up our staff with 300 new recruits which is more than double the current staff we have,” said Makhwala.
He then urged the new recruits to be disciplined in order to succeed in their training so that they can graduate into immigration officers.
Makhwala emphasized that the epicenter of the whole training is discipline saying whoever misbehaved would not be defended.
“A certain intake had 25 recruits but only 8 managed to succeed which means we need only hardworking and dedicated individuals who shall manage to serve the country efficiently,” said Makhwala.
He further said the department was committed to improving its service delivery which is why for the first time in its history it has recruited such a big number of personnel.
Makhwala said this would also help in quick processing of passports since there would be enough personnel to handle the whole process which would also enable the department fight corruption.
In her remarks, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police, Blandina Malunga who is also the Commandant of Kanjedza Police Training School, assured the Chief Immigration Officer that the new recruits would be trained professionally in order to meet the standards of the department.
She then urged her fellow trainers not to be biased when discharging their duties to ensure professionalism.
The Department of Immigration has recruited 300 officers in its 9th recruitment exercise some of whom are university graduates and the new recruits are expected to undergo a six month training course before being posted to different sections of the department.—(Additional reporting by and Alex Chitwere)
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