A REPORT by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Defence and Home Affairs has revealed that undocumented migrants pose a potential security risk to Zimbabwe, adding that lack of official records makes it difficult to identify those who commit crimes.
The committee, led by Beitbridge East MP Albert Nguluvhe, said this could also hinder investigations and possibly allow some criminals to evade justice.
“Undocumented individuals need to be assisted with primary documentation to enable them to participate in economic, social and political sectors of their lives,” the committee said.
It called on the government to set aside resources to conduct research on undocumented migrants.
“Government should set aside resources in order to conduct quantitative research to determine the number of people who are at risk of being statelessness in the country by December 31, 2025,” it said.
The report also called on the Registrar-General’s Office to conduct public awareness programmes to encourage the public to acquire primary documents.
It further called on the Department of Civil Registry to provide quality service and specify minimum requirements for obtaining documents.
“The Registrar-General’s Office should conduct public awareness programmes to encourage the public to obtain primary documents, outlining their importance including procedures for obtaining them particularly in mining areas where there are large numbers of undocumented people by December 31, 2024.
- Goblins ‘besiege’ school
- Teenage girl found dead in Bubi District
- Highlanders strike gold
- Transgender community lobbies for re-documentation
Keep Reading
“The Civil Registry Department should undertake refresher courses and training in customer care for officers so that quality service may be provided by the department at all centres by July 31, 2025.
“The Civil Registry Department should specify at least minimum requirements needed for one to obtain either a birth certificate, national ID or passport through advertisement of public outreach programmes by July 31, 2025 in order to reduce unnecessary turn aways.”
The report said this would help to reduce the number of people who are undocumented.
The committee also called on the government to speed up current efforts at training traditional leaders to facilitate the issuance of primary documents mainly birth and death certificates by December 31 next year.
It said this would also make it easy for people in the hinterland to acquire documents, a service currently available only in urban centres.
“The ministry should give a special dispensation for those who fall victim to natural disasters such as floods, lightning and infernos.
“These should be given amnesty to acquire primary documents without (being impeded by) any cumbersome procedures by July 31, 2025.
“Treasury should allocate more funds to the Civil Registry Department to enable it to conduct a verification exercise to capture and record all the undocumented people so that they can be given some form of documentation in order for them to be identifiable and be able to participate in all aspects of life.”
It further observed that most of the undocumented migrants prefer to live in illegal settlements in mining areas, where no one asks them to produce of documentation.
The committee castigated officials from Registrar-General’s Office who are reluctant to assist individuals with unique issues.
“Although the Civil Registry Department has structures at both provincial and district levels, its officers do not provide the specific requirements needed for one to obtain primary documents.
“The requirement for bringing witnesses add to costs incurred by those seeking primary documents,” the parliamentary committee said.
