Maputo, March 10, 2025 (Lusa) - Mozambique's president called for action to prevent and combat illegal immigration on Monday, considering it the state's first internal security "belt", after swearing in the new director-general of the National Migration Service.
"Concerning the prevention of illegal immigration, we intend Senami [National Migration Service] to be, in fact, the first belt of the internal security system of our Mozambican state, carrying out its role of controlling the entry, stay and exit of foreign citizens from national territory," declared the President of Mozambique, Daniel Chapo, after swearing in Zainadine Danane today in Maputo.
Zainadine Danane, who was promoted to chief migration commissioner, will replace Mário João Arlindo as director-general of Senami.
At the swearing-in ceremony, Chapo appealed to the new director-general of Senami to ensure that only foreign citizens who meet the legal requirements set by the Mozambican state enter and remain in the country, asking this entity, in coordination with the Defence and Security Forces, to take action to combat crime associated with illegal immigration.
"We defend this position because behind illegal immigration lurks a wide range of criminal phenomena that endanger our sovereignty, destabilise the economy and generate unease among the Mozambican people," said Daniel Chapo.
Among the crimes, the president pointed to terrorism, crimes with a transnational dimension that are manifested through kidnappings, trafficking in human organs, illegal extraction of fauna and flora resources, money laundering, as those that stand out as a result of illegal immigration.
"The first step towards combating these crimes is to prevent their perpetrators from entering our country, through professional and patriotic action by all members of the Senami, for example in issuing travel documents and controlling migratory movements," Chapo added.
The Mozambican head of state also called for an end to acts of corruption involving migration agents and officials and called for the Senami to be a "cordial" entity, arguing that it is a crucial part of the entry of foreigners into the country.
"We are directing Zainadine Danane to fiercely combat corruption, extortion, clientelism, negligence and other criminal practices," concluded Chapo.
Speaking to the press after taking office, Zainadine Danane said that ensuring good migration services is central to the fight against corruption, which he has been challenged with.
"To fight corruption we have to start with good service and then the moral issues of the force itself, I'm talking about promotions," said Zainadine Danane.
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