Migration of people from their motherlands to other countries can be a burden or an asset to their host countries. it all depend with a country is exploiting it. Countries that have exploited immigration wisely are known to have benefited enormously. Concrete examples can be drawn from Canada, the United States of America and Australia.

The Democratic republic of Congo is one of the countries that do see immigration as a liability. For the all of last week, the country deported “illegal” immigrants from Congo Brazzaville and Angola. Congolese from Brazzaville were first confined at Beach Ngobila that serves as immigration entry point for those who cross the river Congo to Kinshasa before being ferried to Brazzaville. Being world’s closest capital cities, Kinshasa and Brazzaville are separated only by the river Congo.  

Those from Angola were held at the immigration department awaiting the convoy that will take them to the nearest border points. The move has been widely condemned by members of the civil society and Human Rights activists. Talking to Hapamedia’s correspondents in Kinshasa some Angolans claim to have being living legally in the country but security forces and immigration officers tore them.

Having gone through many destructive wars it’s extremely impossible to establish if the country has a database that records immigrants and their residence status. The method and procedures of residence permits issuance is also very controversial for a country with such a high level of corruption.

With recent “partnership” agreements between China and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Chinese citizens have flocked to fill all job vacancies in the DRC. They seem not to have forgotten anything. They even brought their own stones man, cooks, drivers etc. therefore defying Congolese immigration law that only allow people with at least a first degree to secure a work permit.  To the amazement of all, no raid was carried in Chinese quarters.

Many think that the move is retaliation on the deportation of Democratic Republic of Congo citizens from Angola and Congo Brazzaville lately. Whether it’s true or false; the question to be answered is who is benefiting out of it?

HAPAMEDIA