Police arrest six illegal immigrants from Ethiopia in Karonga

Six illegal immigrants from Ethiopia are under police custody in Malawi’s northern border district of Karonga following their arrest on Friday.

The arrest comes few days after the police in the district nabbed 35 illegal immigrants from the same country.

Karonga Police Officer In-Charge Forster Mangani blames the influx of the illegal immigrants into Malawi on porous borders which the country has.

“These illegal immigrants use unchartered routes but they also take the advantage of our boarders which are very open such that they easily enter into our country which is a security threat,” Mangani says.

Mangani also says another problem is economic hardship facing the country which he says is crippling effort to combat illegal immigrants as members of the public hide the foreigners in order to earn a living.

“These immigrants have a lot of money and they corrupt Malawians to hide them in their houses” says Mangani.

One of the illegal immigrants Mitiku Merego an Ethiopian says they run away from their country because of hunger.

“We are harmless all we are looking for is refuge in Malawi,” he says.

But Mangani warned people to be careful saying most illegal immigrants have military background which he says is a challenge to the country.

Besides Ethiopians other immigrants who illegally enter Malawi include Somalis and Tanzanians.