Illegal students flood North Western province

A number of foreign pupils are accessing education in North Western province without study permits.

This is contrary to the Immigration Act no. 18 of 2010 which provides that school managers are not allowed to admit foreign pupils who have not obtained study permits from the Immigration department.

This anomaly has prompted the Immigrations Department to embark on a sensitization exercise to educate school managers in the province to ensure foreign pupils acquire study permits before admitting them in learning institutions.

Immigration Department Public Relations Officer Namati Nshinka has told ZANIS in an interview in Solwezi that the department has observed that there are many foreign children accessing education in both private and government schools without study permits.

Mr Nshinka says if the situation is left unchecked it has the potential to compromise the social security of the country.

He noted that most school managers are ignorant of the provisions of the Immigration Act and have admitted foreign pupils in their schools with study permits.

And Solwezi Technical Secondary Head Teacher Beatrice Chiyuka says the exercise will help school managers and pupils to be vigilant when dealing with foreign pupils.

North Western province has in recent years recorded an increase in the number of foreign nationals who have come to work in the mines and other business ventures.

Times