A Burundian woman aged 25 has been arrested in Malawi after she applied for a passport saying she is married to a Malawian man based in South Africa.
The woman has been identified as Safiyyah Bizimana-Ibrahim.
She has been arrested together with her young daughter by the by the Department of Immigration in the eastern region..
Spokesperson for the department Sgt. Edward Chidzalo said the two were arrested on Friday after the woman applied for the passport
The woman told authorities that she is married to a Malawian man, named Ibrahim currently based in South Africa.
Chidzalo said, during an assessment, it transpired that Safiyyah and her daughter entered the country through Mwanza border on 10 December 2022 with an aid of a Malawian transporter with documents allegedly obtained from the Malawian consulate in South Africa.
Entering Malawi illegally is an offence under the laws of Malawi. It is also an offence for a foreign national to attempt to obtain a Malawian passport.
However, there are many Burundian nationals living in Malawi as refugees.
Follow us on Twitter:
