IMMIGRATION department in Zanzibar arrested 752 illegal immigrants, with 80 of them jailed in the 2020/2021 period, the House of Representatives was told on Tuesday.

Minister of State, Second Vice-President's Office, Policy, Coordination and House of Representatives Hamza Hassan Juma said the department conducts routine patrols and searches to identify and nab illegal immigrants as well as take appropriate legal measures against them.

He said some suspects had been jailed or fined upon conviction, explaining that the immigration department is responsible for repatriation of the convicts upon completion of their punishments.

The minister, answering a question by Mfenesini Representative Machano Othman Said, who blamed illegal immigrants on the congested reformatory centres, said sometimes the department delays the repatriation due to financial constraints.

The legislator questioned the rationale of spending huge amount of taxpayers' money in caring for the illegal immigrants after serving their punishment, worsening congestion problem in the already crowded centres.

He proposed that the immigration department whose responsibilities include handling of illegal immigrants to foot the accommodation, food and medical expenses for the illegal immigrants pending their repatriation.