The Zimbabwean police, in conjunction with that country’s Department of Home Affairs, have rounded up 41 more Somali refugees in Beit Bridge, as the ongoing blitz on the illegal immigrants intensifies in the border town.

The latest raid, which was carried out between Monday and Friday, brings the total number of the intercepted Somalis to 105.

The regional immigration manager in charge of Beit Bridge Border Post, Mr Charles Gwede, told Limpopo Mirror that the intercepted refugees were taken to a temporary holding centre, waiting to be ferried to Tongogara Refugee camp in Chipinge. “This follows a recent meeting which we held with our South African counterparts, in which it was resolved that we would no longer allow the refugees to proceed without the required documents,” he said.

Gwede said they had since communicated with their counterparts at Nyamapanda Border Post over the issue. “The Somalis enter the country through Nyamapanda Border Post in transit to South Africa. We have communicated with our counterparts there, so that they don’t allow the refugees to proceed without the documents which they are supposed to acquire from the first country of safety,” he said.

He noted, however, that a majority of the Somalis were shunning humanitarian assistance, opting to risk their lives by crossing into South Africa illegally through bushy areas, despite the danger of being attacked by organised armed robbery syndicates. The armed robbers operating along the borderline normally target border jumpers and smugglers and several people continue to fall prey to the notorious criminals.

Last week, police intercepted a group of 64 Somalis as they arrived in Beit Bridge. The refugees, who intended to cross the border illegally, were rounded up at the border post while begging for food handouts from travellers, with others loitering in the streets.

Nearly 100 Somalis, most of whom had no documents to prove their refugee status, were stranded at Beit Bridge Border Post a fortnight ago after they were turned away at the South African entry port by Home Affairs officials. Some of them resorted to using illegal entry points along the Limpopo River. According to international immigration laws, refugees are supposed to have referral clearance letters and asylum permits from their first country of safety before they can be allowed proceed to the next country.