|  Beitbridge Bureau Chief
ZIMBABWE and South Africa yesterday agreed to deal decisively with illegal immigrants, mainly from countries north of the Zambezi River that are accessing the two countries without proper documents.
The resolution was made following a meeting held in Beitbridge yesterday between security agents and immigration officials from both countries.
This comes after an upsurge in illegal immigrants, mainly from Somalia who skip the country into South Africa through the Beitbridge Border Post. They will be masquerading as refugees seeking assistance.
Immigration officials from the two countries expressed concern over the developments. They said they would deal with them according to the provisions of the immigration and refugee laws of both countries.
Recently, more 100 Somalis were stranded at Beitbridge Border Post after they were sent back from the South African side for failing to produce proper documents. The South Africans argued that Zimbabwe needed to document the refugees first before allowing them to proceed to the next host country.
It also emerged that most of them had a severe strain of malaria. The Beitbridge District Civil Protection Committee resolved to round them up and detain them at a temporary holding camp pending transportation to Tongogara Refugee Camp in Chipinge.
However, the group disappeared from the border town after getting information that they would be rounded up. Only 64 Somalis that arrived late this week at the border post were rounded up by police and immigration officials on Thursday night.
Zimbabwe's principal director of Immigration Senior Assistant Commissioner Clemence Masango, said they were concerned with issues of irregular migration. "We held a meeting with our South African counterparts to address the question of irregular migration and its vices.
"Both countries are feeling the effect from the security point of view and crime in general. "With that in mind, we have resolved that all migration issues must be administered in accordance with our national laws and procedures," said Masango.
"Persons will be admitted on the strength of valid and acceptable travel documents as is the norm throughout the world. "It was agreed that all those not meeting, conforming or evading these procedures shall be treated as inadmissible.
"The law is very clear that those claiming refugee or asylum be treated along the national strategies and guidelines of migration in consultation with the office of the commissioner of refugees and other stakeholders. "We have made a stand that we will descend heavily on those evading the law and our officers are adequately qualified in dealing with such issues.
"No one should claim to be a refugee in any country until they have formally applied and conferred with that status by the host country." he said. Snr Ass Comm Masango said the law enforcement agencies were on the ground dealing with those who were in the country illegally.
He said most of those seeking refugee status in the country were coming through Nyamapanda Border Post and were going through the normal determination processes. "We are bound by the country's legislative laws and the international laws in handling refugees.
"Most of those roaming our borders will have entered the country illegally or deserted our refugee centre in Chipinge," he said. South Africa's deputy director general of immigration, Mr Jackson McKay said: "We are very much concerned with the upsurge in irregular migration between Zimbabwe and South Africa.
"We have come together to find a lasting solution to the problem. "As authorities, we have agreed to effectively apply the immigration laws and international conventions that guide us in handling refugees and transit population.
"Anyone who wishes to access either country should have proper and acceptable travelling documents".
Mr McKay challenged security forces to work hard in reducing cases of illegal migration within the Limpopo River. It is believed that there are over 200 illegal crossing points to South Africa dotted along the Limpopo River. | 
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