Tanzania cracks the whip on illegal foreign workers

The immigration office in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania says they know of at least 350 foreigners in the country alone, who are working without legal documents.

The country has subsequently started an operation to expel foreign nationals with illegal work permits.

According to reports, an investigation by the office has revealed that many foreigners enter the country with a tourist visa but end up working or doing business in the country illegally.

It is unclear at this stage what the repercussions for employers which had employed those workers will be. The country on its Forum for Expatriate Management Employers had previously sent a clear message to companies to “familiarize themselves with the law, including its provisions on labor market testing, succession planning, work permit validity and increased criminal penalties for those who hire workers who are in the country illegally.”

Tanzania has seen a huge influx of foreign nationals in recent years and in particular the Chinese, with many of them carrying out skilled and semi-skilled jobs.