Kenya is seeking to change the law to force illegal immigrants found in the country pay for their air tickets while being deported.
Speaking on Tuesday, Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i said the government was losing millions of shillings annually by purchasing air fares for deportation of illegal foreigners.
“This financial year alone we have spent close to Sh360 million buying tickets for people being deported, this is unacceptable for a country like ours with several needs,” he said on Tuesday.
“We are working on law amendments that will force people to get their own tickets when faced with deportation, and officials making it easier for foreigners to overstay their visits will be dealt with accordingly” he added.
The CS said he had signed three deportation orders on Monday, which cost the State about Sh690,000 in air tickets.
“Even yesterday (Monday) I signed three deportation orders of which every ticket cost Sh230,000.”
“How can a country of our size be spending money like that? Our projections are that if we don’t do our work well, we will need close to Sh500 million to deport illegal people from our country in the next financial year,” Matiang’i said.
Matiang’i was briefing the press on the ongoing verification and registration exercise of foreigners working in the country.
Where are the illegal…
Where are the illegal immigrants being deported to for the ticket to cost over 200k each? Is the swidling taking place right under your nose and you are not aware? I think every government transaction done including stationery should be a matter of public record. People being deported should use cheapest mode of transportation and that should include a ship. That said how is an illegal person who can barely afford clean water and food going to pay for their transportation?
If we have diplomatic ties…
If we have diplomatic ties with the countries they come from,we could take them to rheir embassies and make them responsible.
I am curious. Does the…
I am curious. Does the Kenyan Embassy in the US accept Kenyan Deportees (and help them with Air Tickets back home)?
Kenyan embassy in DC is the…
Kenyan embassy in DC is the most useless embassy in the whole world. They don’t show up for work five days a week, don’t pick calls, I can only hope if I was in their premises eating say Githeri being a mugikuyu that I am and started choking, they would call 911; that is if their phones work. Do they even pay their phone bills? It is truly a danger to be in the embassy vicinity I think.
There are many variables to…
There are many variables to this.But in short, the Kenyan Embassy should pay then come after you for refund.But generally, the airline coughs the ticket…Sometimes the “host country” will pay,put you on some chattered planes that might take amonth to reach destination…
Good questions Mugikuyu.
Good questions Mugikuyu.
That’s a Good idea. Zand it…
That’s a Good idea. Zand it’s because Its hard to know Whither they came from. To Ethiopia Eritrea, or Somalia? India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, or where? These guys look the same yet from Different countries; especially the Immediate neighbours.
That is BS…Matiangi should…
That is BS…Matiangi should first investigate himself and the immigration officers who bought the tickets. There is no way are one-way ticket will cost $2300. And again to which country? First, consider that most illegal immigrants come from India and African countries. A one-way ticket to India is about $600
They are going home First…
They are going home First Class, you don’t know what $2300 can buy?