Prohibited immigrants ‘eat’ 5.7bn/- yearly-CAG report  

The presence of 3,110 prohibited migrants from various countries, who have completed their jail sentences but still in prisons, are costing the country approximately 5.7bn/- per annum.

An annual report of the Controller and Auditor General (CAG) on the audit of the Central Government for the financial year ended 30 June, 2022 submitted to the Parliament in Dodoma on Thursday the deportees whose daily food budget for each stand at 5,000/- but are still in prisons in range of one to five years.

“During my audit, I found that the Prisons Service Department has 4,419 prohibited immigrants from various countries, with 1,264 still serving sentences, 45 remanded, and 3,110 deportees.

“The presence of deportees who have completed their jail sentences but are still in prison in range of 22 Controller and Auditor General CG/GR/2021/22 one to five years is due to unissued release orders by the Ministry of Home Affairs,” CAG Charles Kichere told reporters in Dodoma.

The CAG’s dossier states that deportees are still in prisons due unissued release orders by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

He argues that the Prisons Service Department and the Immigration Department should take necessary actions to deport illegal immigrants who complete their sentences, to avoid extra expenses.

The Minister of Home Affairs has issued detention orders to retain foreign prisoners who need to be deported. However, deportation of illegal immigrants is a diplomatic issue that requires consultation with Ambassadors.

“I urge the Ministry of Home Affairs in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation to make more efforts to ensure release orders for the deportees are obtained to reduce unnecessary costs,” the CAG insists.

Section 24 of the Immigration Act CAP 54 2016 makes it illegal for prohibited immigrants to enter or remain in Tanzania.

Order 538 of Prisons Standing Order 2003 states that a person awaiting deportation and detained in prison under the provisions of the Refugees Act, 1998, is to be treated as an untried prisoner and subject to all the rules and regulations applicable to this class of prisoners.