Immigration officers to have limited Judicial police powers

Editor, This is a clarification in reference to the articles “Government wants judicial police within Immigration” that appeared in The New Times of October 7th 2009 and “Foreigners dealing with sex workers face deportation” that appeared in the New Times of October 10th 2009. According to the first article, it was stated that “Government is pushing through parliament a bill that will see the judicial police being hired by Immigration and Emigration department” which may be interpreted as if the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration would recruit judicial police officers or the responsibility of Judicial Police is transferred to Immigration Department. I would like to inform the General Public that the proposed bill requires some Immigration Officers to have Limited Powers of Judicial Police because of the nature of their daily work. It does not require Judicial Police to be hired by the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration In the new law, Immigration officers such as those working at the Border Posts or in Inspection Sections shall have Limited Powers of Judicial Police like the power to search premises suspected of harbouring Immigration law offenders or investigate Immigration cases before submitting them to competent law enforcing organs. It should be clear that not all Immigration Officers shall have limited powers of Judicial Police, but few selected ones because of the nature of their work. The draft law provides that the Attorney General and Minister for Justice shall detail these limited powers of judicial police through a Ministerial Order. In reference to the second article “Foreigners dealing with sex workers face Deportation” which appeared in The New Times of October 10th 2009. I would again like to make it clear that according to the Draft Bill, foreigners who may be deported are those involved in prostitution as a business activity. The Draft Bill says that a foreigner involved in Prostitution may be deported after serving a prescribed sentence. In this case, the judgment shall be made by competent courts of law. Again, the Draft Bill gives a foreigner who has been issued with a deportation order, the right to appeal that decision. Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration

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Immigration officers to have limited Judicial police powers