Gabarone - Illegal immigrants from Zimbabwe have become a major problem in neighbouring Botswana, where detention centres are filled to capacity and about 1 600 Zimbabweans are repatriated every month, Botswana government officials said on Thursday.
"We are seriously losing our battle to deal with this problem. This is the worst immigration problem we have ever seen in this country," stated chief immigration officer Roy Sekgororwane .
He said detention centres for illegal immigrants were filled to capacity, and although about 1 600 Zimbabweans are repatriated every month, he believed a "great number" of them remained behind.
In addition to the illegal flow of immigrants, approximately 125 000 Zimbabweans enter Botswana legally every month, according to an estimate made last week.
But many fail to return to Zimbabwe when their travel permits expire, Sekgororwane said.
They remain in the country to work, mostly as farm labourers and domestic workers.
Botswana and South Africa are the most prosperous nations in southern Africa and are prime destinations for illegal immigrants.
Zimbabweans are fleeing their country, which has been hard-hit by political instability and food shortages exacerbated by a serious drought in the region.
"We really need support to deal with this because the strategies that we have used in the past seem not to be working," he said.
"We are now repatriating two truckloads of illegal immigrants from Zimbabwe every day, and this costs the government a lot of money."
Most Zimbabweans cross into Botswana at the northern border post of Ramokgwebana, but many sneak across the 500-kilometre fenced border at ungazetted points. There are five border posts between the two countries.
Botswana opposition parties have called on President Festus Mogae and his Zimbabwean counterpart Robert Mugabe to convene an urgent meeting to discuss the influx of illegal immigrants.
"What has happened is that, to some of them (Zimbabweans), it is like a joke. They just drop their things upon repatriation and come back," Sekgororwane said. - Sapa-AFP