Ex Rwandan refugees live in fear

Accuse immigration officers of arresting them at will despite them having valid documents

Lusaka (17-01-2020) Former Rwandan refugees are living in fear in Zambia after some corrupt immigration officers are arresting them despite them having valid documents permitting them not only to live but also doing business in the Southern African country.
A source from the Rwandan communities who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of his life said in an exclusive interview that the immigration officers always visit the shops owned by Rwandese to interrogate the owners and would pick the occupants even after producing the validly documents.
The source suspect, some immigration officers are conniving with officials from Rwanda to hint down all those formers refugees who refused to go back to Rwanda after their refugee status ceased in 2012.
He said the formers Rwandan refugees living in Zambia can be forgive for harbouring this suspicion because the immigration officers are arresting former Rwandese refugees on the pretext that they did not have valid documents to allow them stay in Zambia.
He explained that all former refugees living in Zambia have proper documents to enable them stay  and freely doing business in Zambia.
The source does not understand why some one would wake up in the morning to begin hunting former refugees who have done nothing wrong.
The only logical explanation why this is happening is that, some one was heavily paid to do that and the only only do that is one with vested interest in the affairs of former Rwandan refugees that refused to go back to Zambia.
Currently, the sources said most of the former Rwandan refugees are living in fear because they could be picked by immigration officials anytime.
Once, picked, the former refugees would remain in detention until the ‘extortionists’ have gotten some money. 
“I was told by this immigration arresting officer that I am not allowed to  run my shop but I remember the minister telling us in Meheba that we are free to look after ourselves by looking for employment or engaging in other various business.”
He recalled that the minister went ahead to call a certain immigration officer called Lwiindi in order to warn to stop harassing former Rwandese refugees.”
This particular former Rwandee refugee said after being arrested, he was only released after paying a fine to the officers but had spent some nights in filth cells.
Another former refugee said that the majority of Rwandese nationals  in Zambia were living in fear as they were constantly visited by immigration officers who claimed that they did not have valid documents to allow them continue staying in the southern African country.