Mokgethi takes heed of immigration call

Over eight years, 463 Batswana renounced citizenship

Labour and Home Affairs Minister, Annah Mokgethi says Botswana has since taken heed of the call for a comprehensive approach to migration.

This comes after Ngami Member of Parliament, Kainangura Hikuama on Friday asked the minister to appraise Parliament on the rate at which foreign nationals seek both economic and political refuge in the country for 15 years.

He also wanted her to state the number of Batswana nationals/citizens who left the country for both financial and political reasons from 2014 to date and the number of Batswana who left and denounced Botswana citizenship from 2014 to date and reasons thereof.

“It is estimated that 80% of the migration takes place within the continent. As a middle-income country, Botswana is a country of origin, transit, and destination for various categories of migrant workers, refugees, and asylum seekers,” Mokgethi said.

“Current information indicates that there are 792 refugees and 143 asylum seekers in

Botswana. The statistics from my ministry indicate that since 2014 up to now, 139,700 foreign nationals were issued with permits (permanent residence permits, exemption certificates, residence permits, and the Botswana blue card) for a stay in Botswana.”

She said according to the records, there are currently 64,310 valid permits held by foreign nationals, 54,621 residence permits, 5,431 exemption certificates, and 64 Botswana blue cards.

The minister also said her ministry does not have data on Botswana citizens who left the country for economic and political reasons from 2014 to date.

She added that this is primarily because citizens who exit Botswana are not expected to state the reasons for their departure.

Mokgethi said records from her ministry indicate that a total of 463 Batswana from 2014 to date have renounced their citizenship and left the country.

The minister further revealed that, however, citizens are not expected to state the reasons as to why they are desirous of renouncing their Botswana citizenship since the mandatory requirement for renunciation of citizenship is to avoid rendering them stateless. She also pointed out that her ministry does not have data on why citizens renounced their Botswana citizenship and left the country.