via Bulawayo24 NEWS | Botswana closes out Zimbabwean economic refugees 08 July 2014 by APA
Botswana is moving towards closing out Zimbabwean nationals who will be seeking refugee status in the future, APA reported Monday.
Botswana’s Minister of Defence, Justice and Security, Ramadeluka Seretse Botswana claimed the political environment in Zimbabwe is safer for them to stay in their country.
“In the future we are likely to see a situation where Zimbabwean nationals will not be given refugee status,” said Seretse.
He stated that most of them were given asylum status during Zimbabwe’s political crisis which led to people fleeing the country.
He said that currently the situation has improved and dismissed any chances of Zimbabweans being given refugee status when quizzed on whether their economic condition would not guarantee them a chance to be considered.
Seretse said that Botswana currently only gives status to refugees due to political crisis.
“Botswana does not consider economic situation as a criteria to give an individual an asylum status,” he explained.
Botswana has since informed some refugees from Zimbabwe that the government intends to repatriate more than 200 of them.
COMMENTS
would like to Zimbabwe human rights and Imbisa and the likes of Beatrice speak with Botswana very disappointed with Ian Khama perhaps he is being ill advised.
Petal, your heart is in the right place, but think of it from the other end. Where do you draw the line? The argument could be made that globally, most if not all immigrants are moving to different countries primarily for economic reasons. I suspect that most other countries have policies similar to Botswana’s.
African countries compared to countries abroad are not doing enough for the ordinary people they are just a bunch of thieving greedy morons
by this time SADC should be allowing free movement for all the people in the region you see them in pictures clutching piles of paper and briefcases and no action whatsoever. It is time for Organisations like Imbisa and ZHR lawyers to speak for the ordinary people otherwise noone will the others are just enjoying the cushy life have no faith in politicians have faith in human rights organisations they are the ones that speak up for the ordinary people
All this because the Zimbabwean Government behaves like drunk prostitute who pops out children and does not care who shelters ,clothes,schools or feeds them as long as she has a nice frock to attract suiters for herself. Like a prostitute the government lives with a matress strapped to its back while the children beg and borrow from their neighbours to survive.
Shame on you RGM and crew.
So its not only South Africa. I just wonder if zimbabweans will want to lay charges in all the countries that kicks them out.
Dealing with morons that are ruling the continent will not assist the ordinary zimbabweans and others who flee their country for one reason or another .They need to get International Organisations e.g. The UN organ that deals with refugees, and other International Human Rights organisations
one wonders is it these Elections in Botswana in October that are making them make a silly decision
It just goes to show Botswana and South Africa who are part of this silly useless SADC that is made up of most morons do not give a stuff
I agree the only reason a country should grant asylum to foreigners is due to Political unrest not due to financial situation. Its time for Zimbabweans to fight for their country and stop fleeing
Wait until it is their turn and the motswanas and south africans will be fleeing for one reason or another
thre many motswanas seeking asylum in far places as Canada
Imagine for a moment , Zimbabwe’s economy doing well, and jobs being fairly accessible for the people,not abundant jobs ,but enough jobs to secure a jobseeker employment after a dilligent search, would you welcome 3 million non citizens from South Africa or Botswana whatever the case maybe coming to compete with you for those precious jobs.Look at this issue in context, I understand our neighbour’s frustrations at our flooding into their nations,the solution to our problems lies with the restoration and rescusitation of our nation and economy, that way the children of Zimbabwe will not be treated with contempt wherever they go.
Mswati Ndapfunya
That is exactly the reason we the Mthwakazi people also have a problem of the flooding of our provinces by the Shona people who are taking up mainly unskilled jobs at the expense of our people, the locals. For a moment, just forget about the borders – you will see that the Botswana and South African situations are exactly the same with our case.
In Botswana and South Africa, they are fortunate in that they have governments that care for their people and will always act whenever there are complaints; in our case – it is the government that is in the forefront of promoting the provincial displacement of some of its citizens, who then flock to neighbouring countries in search of opportunities lost to those from other provinces; who I suppose are more equal than us.
I mean, how can one be expected to understand just why an individual from Mt Darwin, could leave his home town, ignore all the local villages and towns, Marondella and Harare included to end up in Bulawayo as a cleaner at the NRZ offices? Does that make sense?
As Zimbabweans we all have home provinces; some provinces are far more endowed than others – especially those of Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Mashonaland Central and Manicaland. So one just wonders what exactly it is that chases some people away from their homes; only to cause friction between communities in other regions!
One asks if there has been consultation with organisations that are dealing with these economic refugees be honest the SADC countries do not give a stuff about the ordinary people they are to happy claiming monies purporting to be assisting the ordinary people
realistically what are the people going to come back to besides companies and industries that are shutting down on a daily basis?