At least 379 foreign nationals have voluntarily left Namibia under the government's immigration amnesty programme.
Some 55% of these individuals are from Zimbabwe and the majority of the remainder are from Angola, China and other African countries.
The ministry has extended the amnesty deadline to 27 February, following an initial roll-out that began on 15 December 2025 and was originally set to end on 16 January.
Executive director of home affairs, immigration, safety and security Nghidinua Daniel says 210 Zimbabwean nationals exited the country between December 2025 and February this year.
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In addition to the Zimbabwean nationals, 36 Angolans, 30 South Africans, 21 Chinese nationals, and 19 Zambians have also left Namibia under the amnesty programme, he says.
Other departures included 13 nationals from Botswana, nine from the Democratic Republic of Congo, eight from Germany, and six each from Ghana and Malawi.
Departures were also recorded of citizens of several other nations, including Kenya (four), Congo (Brazzaville) (three), Nigeria (two), Tanzania (two), and Cameroon (two).
Single departures were noted for nationals from Russia, Burundi, the United Kingdom, Norway, Poland, India, Cuba, the Czech Republic, and several others.
Daniel says immigration authorities had observed non-compliance with the Immigration Act, particularly among individuals who entered Namibia legally, but overstayed their permits.
Under normal circumstances, such violations would lead to arrest, detention and possible prosecution, he explained.
"As much as the preference is that people should obey the laws that are in place, we are also human beings.
The government is a caring government and we believe that in some circumstances, people do things not because they are really bad people or with bad intentions, but maybe because of their circumstances," Daniel says.
He says those covered by the amnesty are not considered undocumented in the strict sense, but rather as individuals who either overstayed their permits or no longer hold valid status.
Participants who came forward during the amnesty were not arrested or prosecuted, and their departures were recorded to ensure proper documentation. The ministry has worked closely with foreign missions, particularly Angolan authorities, to facilitate travel documents where necessary.
With the amnesty period now concluded, Daniel says normal enforcement operations have resumed.
"We believe any person who has not come forward would only have themselves to blame," he says, adding that immigration officials, in collaboration with other law-enforcement agencies, will intensify inspections to identify individuals residing or working illegally.
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Daniel urges employers and landlords to verify the legal status of the foreign nationals they engage, stressing that compliance with immigration laws is a shared national responsibility. - Nampa
