One million, 130 thousand and 681 migratory movements between Angola and the Republic of Namibia were registered, in the period from January to December 15 of this year, at the border posts of Santa Clara, Calueque, Ruacaná and Okalonga, Cunene province.
The data is contained in the report from the Migration and Foreigner Service (SME) in Cunene, distributed this Tuesday to ANGOP, on the occasion of International Migrants Day, marked on December 18th, pointing to an increase of 240 thousand and 215 movements in in relation to the year 2022.
Of the migrants, 850 thousand and 821 are nationals, while 279 thousand and 860 are foreigners, of which 45 thousand and 571 are minors, who crossed the border in both directions.
Foreigners include citizens of Namibian, Vietnamese, Cuban, Ethiopian, South African, Congolese (DRC), Somali, Kenyan, Mauritanian, Zimbabwean, Mozambican, Eritrean, Cape Verdean, Rwandan, Zambian, Nigerian nationality, among tourists, expatriates and residents.
Within the framework of agreements to abolish visas in ordinary passports established by the Republic of Angola with other countries, the SME registered the entry and exit of 24,117 foreigners, as well as 465 tourist and business visas were issued.
During the period in question, 471 immigration offenses were reported, as a result of the inspection work carried out in the six municipalities that make up Cunene, which led to the expulsion of 462 foreigners.
The SME also received 178 Angolans who were in an illegal migration situation in Namibian territory. Currently, the SME controls 632 foreigners in the province of Cunene, of which 461 have a work visa, 72 are residents, 69 are temporarily staying, 24 are convicted and six are detained.
International Migrants Day, established through Resolution 55/93, adopted during the United Nations General Assembly on December 4, 2000, which also adopted the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of all Migrant Workers and Members of their Families.
The event brings to light a serious reflection on how international cooperation is imperative to overcome the phenomenon of migration, which is complex and, almost always, touchy in matters relating to security and peace.
In Angola, the phenomenon of migration, along with the most evident colonial constraints, are those resulting from civil wars, with a clear correlation between migration and the search for economic opportunities, especially linked to the greater wealth of the cities, which motivated important exoduses rural areas on an ongoing basis.