TRAFFICKING OF BANGLADESHI CITIZENS IN MOZAMBIQUE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MAPUTO 000002

SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CVIS KFRD MZ
SUBJECT: TRAFFICKING OF BANGLADESHI CITIZENS IN MOZAMBIQUE



1. (SBU) Summary: In early December, 34 Bangladeshi
nationals were apprehended by Mozambican police under
charges of illegal immigration after having flown into the
country from the Comoros Islands on a chartered airplane.
Mozambican newspapers reported that the Bangladeshis were on
their way to South Africa to seek employment, and were being
trafficked by a man identified as "Satar." Press reports
intimate that corrupt immigration and police officials in
Nampula, Mozambique may have been involved in both the
issuance of the entry visas and the subsequent detention of
the Bangladeshi nationals. Post understands that immigration
by South Asians into and through Mozambique continues to
increase. End Summary.


2. (U) The group of Bangladeshis flew into Nampula city
airport on an aircraft belonging to Servico Aereo Regional
(Regional Air Service). When contacted later by a
journalist, the director of this small airline, "Mr. Mario,"
said the airplane had been chartered by a Comoros Islands-
based company called Royal Aviation.


3. (U) All 34 Bangladeshis obtained visas from immigration
officials at the Nampula airport. It is not known if Satar
had a hand in arranging for the visas in advance of the
Bangladeshis' arrival, but there are allegations that
immigration officials may have been bribed. According to
news reports, Satar is said to have told police officials
that this was not the first time he had trafficked
Bangladeshi laborers to South Africa, and that he earns a
commission for delivering such groups.


4. (U) Satar had arranged to transport the group of
Bangladeshis south towards the South African border in
rental cars. It is not clear how or under what
circumstances the detentions occurred, but half the group
was detained in Nampula city, and the other 17 were
apprehended in Inhambane province, approximately 700 km away
from the South African border, Ressano Garcia-Komatipoort.
How the group was planning to cross into South Africa is
unknown, but in other cases of trafficking reported by the
International Organization for Migration, illegal immigrants
have been reported to either be smuggled across the border
in vehicles or boats, or have attempted to cross by foot.


5. (U) After one week of detention in a Nampula city prison
facility, 17 Bangladeshis were repatriated via the Comoros
Islands on the same charter aircraft that had earlier flown
them to Mozambique. The other half was waiting for resources
to be made available to fund a second flight. A newspaper
report said that Mozambican officials were considering
sending the 17 remaining Bangladeshi nationals to Malawi
where the Bangladeshi Embassy could assume responsibility
for repatriating them. Post has been unable to find out what
became of the 17 Bangladeshis remaining in Nampula city.


6. (U) The key questions underlined by press reports are why
and how the Bangladeshi nationals were detained by police
when Mozambican Immigration had granted the group valid
entry visas. Both the Mozambican National Police and
Immigration are refusing to comment, both sides suggesting
that the other is responsible for the situation and should
therefore be releasing to the public an official account.
One newspaper report suggests that the police detained the
Bangladeshis despite their being in possession of valid
visas after the group refused to pay a bribe.


7. (SBU) Recent telephone conversations with a contact in
the Office of Immigration in Maputo and an informal contact
in Nampula city confirm what Post wrote in a January 2004
cable (04 Maputo 112) regarding immigration trends of South
Asians in Mozambique: the numbers of Pakistani, Indian and
Bangladeshi nationals coming to Mozambique are rising. While
there are many established South Asian communities in
Mozambique - particularly in Nampula province - significant
numbers of these nationals continue to seek ways to
illegally enter South Africa. The South Asians who are not
able to obtain a visa to enter Mozambique generally enter
the country through land routes in Malawi and Tanzania, and
also use boats (embarking from Tanzania) to go ashore in
Cabo Delgado and Nampula provinces.


8. (SBU) Post's contact in the office of immigration in
Maputo acknowledges the problem of corruption among visa
officials in general, but particularly in more remote areas
of Mozambique. For the right sum, it is not difficult for
third country nationals to obtain either a Mozambican
passport or residency permit. This is apparent on the visa
line, where Post has seen probable imposters applying for
visas using genuine Mozambican identity documents.


9. (U) A recent article published on December 21, draws
attention to the growing misuse of 30-day Mozambican tourist
visas, which are routinely granted by Mozambican immigration
officials both at the land borders and at airports, often
with minimal scrutiny or interviewing. In the same article,
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism Vitoria Dias
Diogo acknowledged that the ease with which foreigners can
obtain Mozambican visitor's visas may create opportunities
for gain and profit for those harboring ill intentions
regarding immigration law, and said the issue would be
reexamined by the Tourist Commission.