Dar: Immigration fears passports being sold to criminals

The Immigration Department has expressed worries that some Tanzania passport holders are maliciously selling their passports to hardcore cross-border criminals who use them to escape from international legal barricades while under camouflage as they go around the world.

Addressing the media as Immigration Department head offices in Dar es Salaam yesterday, the Deputy Commissioner for Immigration Services (DCIS) Abbas Irovya said that about 932 passports were lost in the past three years, the highest rate since independence.

The graph of lost passports has been high since 2010 and what shocked department officials is that even though the loss reports are published only a few ones were found, while in the past many lost passports were recovered after a short period.

In 2010-11 a total of 489 passports were reported lost, while in 2012-13 about 651 passports got lost and 2012-13 a total of 792 passports were reported to have been lost.

“We are worried that no single passport has been found after being reported to be lost.

 Earlier, the lost passport was reported to our offices or to various embassies, implying that the passport has been handed over most likely to criminals,” Commissioner Irovya underlined. 

The traditionally positive image of the country makes our passport have more value compared to some neighbouring countries, therefore some people try to use the passport for personal benefits, and not for anything good for the country, he said.

The DCIS warned that as the number of passport thefts increase and being used by criminals it also destroys the good image of the country.

Some of the passport holders have intentionally lost their passports for benefits such as getting money for selling it, he ventured to suggest.

The department was seeking assistance from Interpol whereby all information concerning lost passports is sent to the Interpol data base so that if anyone tries to use such a document anywhere would be arrested by the relevant authorities, he stated.

The government has decided if any passport theft or loss case is reported, it will take not less than six months to investigate the case, to see if anything about the passport can be reported as well as getting facts about what is reported. 

The department also warned Tanzanians who use passports as bonds for funds that this is legally prohibited by the law.

Using the passport for other purposes against its official use is translated as betraying the country because passport is government property, he further stated.

Meanwhile the department has denied information reported by weekly news aper ‘ThisDay’ On March 10-16 titled ‘Asian girls in Dar sex trade….Tanzania Police, Immigration officers blamed for allowing human trafficking, prostitution activities in Mujra clubs.’

The director insisted that the department cannot be involved in human trafficking as the law on migration, Act No 6 of 2008 was set up for the purpose of combating human trafficking and sex tourism.

The Immigration Department is doing its work according to the law and was aware that it was illegal to foster prostitution and trafficking. 

The commissioner admitted that some of the things reported in the paper could be conducted undercover, urging stakeholders including the media to join efforts to identify those who engage in trafficking people.

DCIS intends to mount an investigation to ascertain reports where its officials were reported to be involved in human trafficking.

‘This Day’ said that hundreds of girls from Asia were being trafficked into Tanzania to cater for the sex industry in Dar es Salaam. Corruption and laxity by officials with the police and the Immigration Department was facilitating illegal immigration.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN