FRAUD SUMMARY: BOTSWANA JULY 2009

UNCLAS GABORONE 000570

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

C O R R E C T E D C O P Y -- CAPTION ADDED

DEPT FOR CA/FPP
DEPT PASS TO KCC WILLIAMSBURG KY
DHS FOR CIS/FDNS
JOHANNESBURG FOR RCO

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KFRD CVIS CPAS CMGT ASEC BC
SUBJECT: FRAUD SUMMARY: BOTSWANA JULY 2009

REF: 09 GABORONE 110

NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION

(A) COUNTRY CONDITIONS
(U) Botswana is a politically stable, middle-income country with a
small population of about 1.8 million. While unemployment remains
high at 17.6% and Botswana continues to combat an HIV/AIDS
prevalence of 25%, the government has been lauded by the
international community for the progressive social programs it has
implemented. Batswana [plural for citizens of Botswana] enjoy an
advanced medical aid program, a free education through post-graduate
university, and enterprise facilitation programs. Anti-retroviral
drugs (ARVs) are generally available to most of the population in
need. While employment opportunities for young adults are often
elusive, the social benefits one receives here are good reason to
stay.

(U) The government of Botswana continues to be the largest employer,
and government jobs are considered stable and desirable. Many
people also find jobs in the large NGO sector. The government is
also sponsoring modest initiatives to promote entrepreneurship and
some privatization of selected industries, but these have not proven
successful yet. Recently, traditionally strong sectors of the
economy, especially the mining industry, have felt the effects of
the worldwide economic slowdown; several mines have closed or scaled
back production.

(U) Botswana's greatest problem with illegal immigration stems from
its neighbor, Zimbabwe, from where illegal and legal immigrants are
arriving in great number, especially after the disputed Zimbabwe
elections of Spring 2008. otswana's vast, porous border and
stability are ttractive for those fleeing political oppression,
unemployment, hypr-inflationary markets, hunger,and disease. This
has had still had little bearig to date on visa or ACS operations
in Gaboroe, as post has not noticed any surge in applications from
Zimbabweans or residents of Zimbabwe. The government of Botswana
has been generally welcoming to legitimate refugee and asylees from
Zimbabwe. However, this remains a potential problem as Zimbabweans
attempt to establish residency and find employment in Botswana or
look to move from Botswana to brighter horizons elsewhere.

(U) There is also a sizeable amount of legal migration and temporary
settlement in Botswana. The government of Botswana recruits people
with specialized skills, such as medical expertise or teaching
experience, to work in Botswana. Many of these people stay in
Botswana for many years and can gain permanent residency or
citizenship. Visa applications reflect this, with nearly half of
all applicants coming from third countries.

(U) It will become more difficult for Botswana Immigration or Home
Affairs officials to detect a mala fide applicant for a genuine
passport or a holder of a forged or fraudulent passport as the
population of Botswana becomes more multicultural and citizenship is
extended to those whose ancestry is not of any indigenous tribe.
Similar to the U.S., individuals can acquire citizenship in Botswana
through jus sanguinis or naturalization, and the large expatriate
community has taken advantage of this.

(U) While there has been little reason to suspect that official
documents (i.e. passports, residence permits) produced by Botswana
authorities and seen in conjunction with visa interviews are mala
fide, the quality and technology of such documents are poor,
antiquated, and inconsistent. Fraudulent versions of the low-tech
Botswana passport have been intercepted in several countries,
including the United States, Canada, Brazil, and Cameroon. In the
past, rumors have indicated that fraudulent Botswana passports could
be obtained in Nigeria.

(U) In late December 2008, a newspaper article revealed police
arrests and investigations into the selling or renting of Botswana
and South African passports to allow for easier travel throughout
the region. The article reported that several of the recovered
passports had forged bio data and photo pages. In February 2009,
another newspaper article raised concerns over the integrity of
Botswana's record keeping and accounting for passport applications
and books, primarily for lost, stolen, or damaged passport books.


(U) In a February 2009 change to United Kingdom's visa regulations,
citizens of South Africas and several other southern African
countries, excepting Botswana, now require visas in advance of
visits to the United Kingdom. However, nationals of Botswana still
do NOT require visas to enter the UK or Canada as tourists, thus
making the country's travel document a potentially attractive target
for criminals. The UK continues to closely examine document
security and the quality of the passport issued by Botswana and
expects Botswana to implement plans to introduce a new, secure
passport in 2010.



(U) In November 2008, the government of Botswana announced the award
of a tender to German company Giesecke and Devrient produce a new
e-passport for Botswana. In preparation for the new passport, the
government has centralized all processing of passport applications
in Gaborone. Full details on the price and application procedures
for the new passports are not yet available. However, production of
the new passport is not anticipated to begin until 2010.

(B) NIV FRAUD

(U) Post has received several turnaround reports from DHS concerning
citizens of Botswana. However, few clear trends emerged. The
applicants concealed key elements of their personal details, such as
parents living in the United States, job interviews, or plans to
attend school. DHS found evidence of their plans in their luggage,
often in the form of emails, application forms, or resumes.

(U) Post previously reported on a possible trend involving young,
professional women transiting the United States with the intention
of remaining in Canada (see reftel). Since several similar cases
were refused under section 214(b) in 2009, post has not seen such
applications repeated.

(U) Although post processes relatively few H1B applications, a spate
of recent applications have required additional review. Internet
(including GoogleEarth) and Lexis Nexis searches have indicated that
employers' office spaces were private residences. The number of
employees listed on the potential employers' quarterly tax reports
did not appear to match the total number claimed in petition
materials and in one case, indicated that the employer was H1b
dependent. The applicants were to be consultants and in one case,
the applicant was to be located at a client's office for 90 percent
of his time. Searches showed the office space to be a private
residence and revealed that the client's business was registered in
the name of one of the petitioning companies employees and her
husband. In these cases, the applicants were Indian passport
holders and worked in accounting or IT in Botswana.

(C) IV FRAUD

(U) Post does not process IV cases, but responds to requests for
investigations from other posts or agencies. At the request of the
Fraud Prevention Unit at another U.S. mission, post confirmed as
fraudulent a Botswana passport presented in conjunction with an
immigrant visa case.

(D) DV FRAUD

(U) Several members of the public contacted post to confirm they had
won the Diversity Visa lottery. Some of these people had applied
for the DV program, but others received unsolicited emails informing
them of their luck. These notifications were easily confirmed as
fraudulent because they had arrived via email from addresses that
did not end in .gov. Moreover, they asked for additional personal
information from the applicants and often requested payment to
continue processing the applications. In response, post added the
Department's warning about DV fraud schemes to the Embassy's
website, and put the information into a press release.

(E) ACS AND U.S. PASSPORT FRAUD

(U) Post has not encountered any apparent ACS or U.S. passport fraud
in recent memory. Demand for ACS and passport services is
relatively low. Providing additional passport pages is the most
frequently performed service.

(F) ADOPTION FRAUD

(U) Post does not process adoption visas.

(G) USE OF DNA TESTING

(U) Post has not resorted to DNA testing since at least 2006.

(H) ASYLUM AND OTHER DHS BENEFIT FRAUD

(U) Post has not processed any V-92 or V-93 cases and has
encountered very few cases of lost Green cards or other cases
requiring transportation letters.

(SBU) However, post has processed several cases of Cuban applicants
requesting parole into the United States under the Cuban medical
personnel parole program administered by DHS. Most applicants are
currently working in a medical field for the government of Botswana,
so little fraud is indicated. However, most of their credentials
are from Cuban universities and professional societies and would be


difficult to verify.

(I) ALIEN SMUGGLING, TRAFFICKING, ORGANIZED CRIME, TERRORIST TRAVEL

(SBU) In the past, post received information about a possible
document fraud scheme operating in Botswana. Some of this
information was conveyed to Diplomatic Security via the Embassy of
Botswana in Washington, D.C. A local informant served as another
source (See Reftel).

(SBU) The Botswana police did question the Zimbabwean head of a
consulting service for possibly providing false or altered Botswana
residence documents. He has since been released on bail and the
investigation continues. Post continues to make inquiries about the
status of this investigation, but the RSO has not yet received any
additional information from the police.

(U) In an apparently international fraud scheme, two contacts
reported paying money to find employment in the United States, with
the expectation that they would receive working visas. The
informants paid recruiters for several services, including visa
applications, and both expressed surprise that no visa had been
pre-approved for them. They had transferred all fees, some more
than USD 1,000, to accounts in either Europe or South Africa.

(J) DS CRIMINAL FRAUD INVESTIGATIONS

(U) See part I.

(K) HOST COUNTRY PASSPORT, IDENTITY DOCUMENTS, AND CIVIL REGISTRY

Passport Description:
(U) The passport of the Republic of Botswana is a relatively
low-tech book. The navy cover shows the coat of arms of Botswana
(two zebras and a shield above the word "pula"). The book number is
punched through the front cover and all 64 pages, but it does not
appear on the back cover. Biographic data, including the applicants
name, identity card number, profession, place and date of birth, and
height, are handwritten on the first and second pages.

(U) The photograph is pasted and laminated onto the third page,
under a laminate bearing the coat of arms of Botswana. The bearer's
signature appears below the photograph, often on a small white paper
affixed beneath the laminate. An impressed seal covers the name and
the bottom portion of the photograph. The laminate can become
easly damaged if exposed to water.

(U) Handwritten etails on the validity of the passport and the
barer's previous pssport appear on pages four and ive. [Note:
Botswana authorities usually collec previous passports when issuing
a new passpot, even if the previous passport still contains valid
visas. End note.] The primary fraud prevention device on the
passport pages is a detailed ultraviolet marking. The front cover
tends to split and peel, as does the spine of the passport.

(U) As mentioned in Part A, Botswana announced in November 2008 the
awarding of a tender to German company Giesecke and Devrient to
produce a new e-passport for Botswana. In preparation for the new
passport, the government has centralized all processing of passport
applications in Gaborone. Full details on the price and application
procedures for the new passports are not yet available. However,
production of the new passport is not anticipated to begin until

2010.

Identity Documents:
(U) All Batswana (citizens of Botswana) carry a national identity
card, referred to as the "omang." This is a credit-card sized
document, which records the bearer's name, date and place of birth,
digitized signature, and a digitized photograph contained with an
oval beneath the coat of arms of Botswana. The omang does utilize
ultraviolet fraud prevention features.

Residence Permits:
(U) Botswana provides all foreigners living legally in Botswana with
residence or exemption certificates, and work permits, as
appropriate. These are printed on full-sized sheets of very thin
paper, although they might be handwritten. These residence and
exemption certificates usually contain a photograph of the bearer,
which is pasted onto the form and is not laminated or secured by any
other means. The validity varies, but the certificates can be
extended and extensions are recorded by a stamp on the back of the
certificate. Some bearers will carry the same certificate for up to
20 years. These certificates must be displayed upon entering and
exiting Botswana and many certificates can show severe signs of wear
and tear.

Civil Documents:


(U) Reports of birth and death and other civil documents are
generally printed onto half- or three-quarter-sized sheets of heavy
paper. There are few security features, but there can be a wait of
several days for the Registrar to issue the document.

(U) For reports of birth and death, the hospital or morgue often
issues an initial certificate of birth or death that is later used
as the basis for the full report. The initial report might be more
cursory in nature than the final document. For example, the initial
report of birth might not contain the father's name, although the
family might request that this information appear on the final,
formalized report of birth. Additionally, the father's name can be
added to the formal report of birth many years later.

Difficulties in Confirming Documents:
(U) Botswana maintains few electronic records of issuance for any of
the documents discussed above. The applications for most of these
items have generally been held at the district level, and confirming
issuance of any documents can be a time-consuming process.

(L) COOPERATION WITH HOST GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES

(SBU) Cooperation with host government authorities is generally
good. Local police were willing to assist in an investigation into
an alleged supplier of fraudulent documents and participated
discreetly in interviews with possible sources of information.
Additionally, the government of Botswana has in the past conveyed
valuable fraud prevention information brought to the attention of
their embassy in Washington.

(U) However, record keeping in Botswana is often not computerized,
which can make it difficult to search and confirm certain data
quickly, such as entry/exit records, passport applications, or
residence or work permits. In response to a request, the Department
of Immigration did confirm a passport presented as part of an
immigrant visa application at another post as fraudulent.

(U) Post has met with Immigration Department officials to express
willingness to review suspect U.S. passport and provide more
information on U.S. visas and travel documents. The Immigration
Department, including airport passport inspectors, has contacted
post directly with questions. Post has been able to confirm the
legitimacy of the documents in question.

(M) AREAS OF PARTICULAR CONCERN

(U) Given the high number of third country nationals living in
Botswana, post has generally received nearly 50 percent of all visa
applications from non-Botswana passport holders. South Asian
applicants (those from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh) comprise the
largest portion of third country applications. Many of these
applicants are young men claiming to be directors in family
companies traveling alone for either vacation in New York or to
attend a trade show with an open registration policy. Others appear
to be established business owners traveling to visit family or to
explore business possibilities.

(U) In 2008 and early 2009, several sources in the local south Asian
community contacted post to provide information on potentially mala
fide visa applicants. Most sources indicated that they hope to
protect the reputation of their communities, especially in the visa
process. They indicated that applicants with existing visas and
previously lawful travel to the United States might plan to stay
illegally on future trips.

(U) Investigations into these claims have produced mixed results.
While certain applicants demonstrated their successful business
interests in Botswana and previous lawful travel to and from the
United States, informal return checks and site visits on other cases
raised some concerns. Attempts to confirm returns of several
previously issued south Asian applicants indicated that they had not
returned to Botswana as originally stated. Site visits and phone
calls to the supposed businesses of several temporarily refused
cases revealed that the employment had been terminated, the business
relocated, or failed to locate the claimed business.

(U) Post will continue to monitor all third country applications
closely and hopes to conduct a full validity study in 2009.

(N) STAFFING AND TRAINING.

(U) In September 2008, the section's one full-time FSN and one
part-time EFM had some refresher fraud prevention training with the
FPU and DHS offices in Johannesburg. Post's sole consular officer
received some additional fraud prevention training at a regional
consular conference in May 2009 in Johannesburg, South Africa.


NOLAN