Zambia

Detains migrants or asylum seekers?

Yes

Has laws regulating migration-related detention?

Yes

Voluntary Returns & Forced Removals

223

2021

Refugees

66,513

2023

Asylum Applications

4,317

2023

International Migrants

249,205

2024

Overview

Zambia; Zambia detains migrants and asylum seekers, including in prisons alongside convicted criminals. Its practice of detaining children has been criticized by UN human rights experts, who have called on the country to cease this practice as well as other violations including refouling people back to conflict zones or where they will face persecution, including Ethiopians.

Types of facilities used for migration-related detention
Administrative Ad Hoc Criminal Unknown

Migrants in Zambia at Grave Risk of Abuse

On December 11, 27 people were found dead in an agricultural area north of Zambia’s capital, Lusaka. The dead, dumped one on top of the other in the street, are presumed to be Ethiopian migrants. According to a police spokesman who spoke to the BBC, the migrants are believed to have “suffocated to death while […]

Read More…

DW, “Zambia: Dozens of Suspected Ethiopian Migrants Found Dead,” 12 December 2022, https://www.dw.com/en/zambia-dozens-of-suspected-ethiopian-migrants-found-dead/a-64063723

Zambia: Covid-19 and Detention

Although the number of confirmed Covid-19 infections in Zambia remains low (76 as of 22 April), the rate of infection continues to rise. A land-locked country, Zambia announced in late March that it would not close its borders because of the economic impact this would have. President Edgar Lungu said on 26 March, “Zambia is […]

Read More…

People at the Kasumbalesa Market, Vital for Cross-Border Trade with Congo, (J. Nkomo, Zambia News, 13 April 2020,
Last updated:

Zambia aggressively arrest, detains, and deports undocumented migrant and asylum seekers in an effort to block transit migration en route to southern Africa and to prevent unauthorised trading and labour migration. However, the country lacks proper infrastructure for adhering to human rights norms.  In a 2022, National Migration Policy briefing, the country reported there "there are no holding facilities as an alternative to detention for migrants who have committed non-custodial migration-related offences who as a result end up in correctional facilities, a situation which is against international best practices." 

DETENTION STATISTICS

Migration Detainee Entries
4,287
protprot 2017
3,769
protprot 2016
3,478
protprot 2015
4,356
protprot 2014
3,272
protprot 2013
Reported Detainee Population (Day)
Not Available
30
December
Not Available
protprot 2021
Not Available
30
December
Not Available
protprot 2020
Average Daily Detainee Population (year)
Not Available
protprot 2021
Not Available
protprot 2020
Immigration Detainees as Percentage of Total Migrant population (Year)
3.07%
protprot 2015
3.31%
protprot 2013

DETAINEE DATA

Countries of Origin (Year)





protprot 2021





protprot 2020
Congo (Kinshasa)
Rwanda
Burundi


protprot 2006
Number of Asylum Seekers Placed in Immigration Detention (Year)
Not Available
protprot 2021
Not Available
protprot 2020
24
protprot 2014
160
protprot 2006
44
protprot 2005
Number of Women Placed in Immigration Detention (year)
Not Available
protprot 2021
Not Available
protprot 2020
4
protprot 2010
Total Number of Children Placed in Immigration Detention (Year)
Not Available
protprot 2021
Not Available
protprot 2020
Not Available
protprot 2019
Not Available
protprot 2017
5
protprot 2016
18
protprot 2015
48
protprot 2014
49
protprot 2013
Number of Unaccompanied Children Placed in Immigration Detention (Year)
Not Available
protprot 2021
Not Available
protprot 2020
Number of Accompanied Children Placed in Immigration Detention (Year)
Not Available
protprot 2021
Not Available
protprot 2020
Number of Stateless Persons Placed in Immigration Detention (Year)
Not Available
protprot 2021
Not Available
protprot 2020
Number of Deaths in Immigration Custody (year)
Not Available
protprot 2021
Not Available
protprot 2020
Cases of Self-Harming and Suicide Attempts in Immigration Custody (Year)
0
protprot 2021
0
protprot 2020

DETENTION CAPACITY

Total Immigration Detention Capacity
0
protprot 2021
0
protprot 2020
1,925 (945)
protprot 2010
Immigration Detention Capacity (Specialised Immigration Facilities Only)
0
protprot 2021
0
protprot 2020
Number of Dedicated Immigration Detention Centres
0
protprot 2021
0
protprot 2020
0
protprot 2005

ALTERNATIVES TO DETENTION

Number of Detainees Referred to ATDs (Year)
0
protprot 2021
0
protprot 2020
Official ATD Absconder Rate (Percentage)(Year)
0%
protprot 2021
0%
protprot 2020
Number of People in ATDs on Given Day
0
protprot 2021
0
protprot 2020

ADDITIONAL ENFORCEMENT DATA

Percentage of Detainees Released (year)
60%
protprot 2017
Percentage of Detainees Deported (year)
0%
protprot 2021
0%
protprot 2020
Number of Deportations/Forced Removals (Year)
4,664
protprot 2017
5,069
protprot 2016
3,734
protprot 2015
4,742
protprot 2014
3,431
protprot 2013
Number of Voluntary Returns & Deportations (Year)
223
protprot 2021
29
protprot 2020
0
protprot 2017
Percentage of Removals v. Total Removal Orders (Year)
%
protprot 2021
%
protprot 2020
Number of People Refused Entry (Year)
Not Available
protprot 2021
Not Available
protprot 2020
1,673
protprot 2017
1,602
protprot 2016
1,517
protprot 2015
1,370
protprot 2014
1,294
protprot 2013
Number of Apprehensions of Non-Citizens (Year)
0
protprot 2021
0
protprot 2020
9,088
protprot 2017
7,485
protprot 2016
4,974
protprot 2015
5,708
protprot 2014
3,700
protprot 2013

PRISON DATA

Criminal Prison Population (Year)
23,062
protprot 2021
20,735
protprot 2020
22,823
protprot 2019
25,000
protprot 2017
17,021
protprot 2013
16,666
protprot 2010
15,000
protprot 2008
14,207
protprot 2005
13,173
protprot 2002
11,999
protprot 2000
14,318
protprot 1998
Percentage of Foreign Prisoners (Year)
%
protprot 2021
%
protprot 2020
2.1%
protprot 2005
Prison Population Rate (per 100,000 of National Population)
117
protprot 2021
109
protprot 2020
160
protprot 2017
119
protprot 2013
128
protprot 2010
120
protprot 2008
124
protprot 2005
123
protprot 2002
116
protprot 2000
146
protprot 1998

POPULATION DATA

Population (Year)
21,314,956
protprot 2024
20,600,000
protprot 2023
18,921,000
protprot 2021
18,400,000
protprot 2020
16,212,000
protprot 2015
International Migrants (Year)
249,205
protprot 2024
Not Available
protprot 2021
187,955
protprot 2020
170,249
protprot 2019
127,900
protprot 2015
International Migrants as Percentage of Population (Year)
1.17%
protprot 2024
Not Available%
protprot 2021
1%
protprot 2020
0.8%
protprot 2015
Estimated Undocumented Population (Year)
Not Available (Not Available)
protprot 2020
Refugees (Year)
66,513
protprot 2023
75,154
protprot 2021
66,075
protprot 2020
57,518
protprot 2019
49,879
protprot 2018
41,269
protprot 2017
29,338
protprot 2016
25,737
protprot 2015
25,578
protprot 2014
Ratio of Refugees Per 1000 Inhabitants (Year)
3.97
protprot 2021
3.59
protprot 2020
1.76
protprot 2016
1.63
protprot 2014
Asylum Applications (Year)
4,317
protprot 2023
8,402
protprot 2021
7,657
protprot 2020
7,861
protprot 2019
3,934
protprot 2016
2,220
protprot 2014
Number of People Granted Temporary Protection Status (Year)
Not Available
protprot 2020
Refugee Recognition Rate (Year)
Not Available
protprot 2021
Not Available
protprot 2020
62.8
protprot 2014
Stateless Persons (Year)
0
protprot 2022
Not Available
protprot 2021
0
protprot 2020
0
protprot 2016
0
protprot 2015

SOCIO-ECONOMIC DATA & POLLS

Gross Domestic Product per Capita (in USD)
$ 1,120.06,000
protprot 2021
$ 1,050.9,000
protprot 2020
$ 1,721,000
protprot 2014
Remittances to the Country (in USD)
$ 242,000,000
protprot 2021
$ 135,000,000
protprot 2020
$ 98,000,000
protprot 2019
$ 58,000,000
protprot 2014
Remittances From the Country (in USD)
$ 107,000,000
protprot 2021
$ 89,000,000
protprot 2020
$ 104,000,000
protprot 2019
Unemployment Rate
13%
protprot 2021
11%
protprot 2020
%
protprot 2014
Unemployment Rate Amongst Migrants
%
protprot 2020
Net Official Development Assistance (ODA) (in Millions USD)
1,016
protprot 2020
976.28
protprot 2019
994.6
protprot 2014
Human Development Index Ranking (UNDP)
154 (Medium)
protprot 2021
141 (Medium)
protprot 2020
146 (Medium)
protprot 2019
139 (Medium)
protprot 2015
Integration Index Score
protprot 2021
protprot 2020
38
protprot 2019
World Bank Rule of Law Index
30
-0.59
protprot 2021
29
-0.63
protprot 2020
35
protprot 2019
Domestic Opinion Polls on Immigration
protprot 2021
protprot 2020
Pew Global Attitudes Poll on Immigration
protprot 2021
protprot 2020

LEGAL & REGULATORY FRAMEWORK

Does the Country Detain People for Migration, Asylum, or Citizenship Reasons?

Yes

2023

Yes

2010
Does the Country Have Specific Laws that Provide for Migration-Related Detention?

Yes

2023

Yes

2023

Yes

2023
Detention-Related Legislation
Name
Year Adopted
Last Amended
Immigration and Deportation Act, No. 18 of 2010
2010
Refugees and Control Act 1970
1970
The Refugees Act 1 of 2017
2017
Do Migration Detainees Have Constitutional Guarantees?
Yes/No
Constitution and articles
Adopted in
Last amendend
Yes
Zambia's Constitution of 1991 with Amendments through 2016, Article 26: Provisions Relating to Restriction and Detention
1991
2016
Additional Legislation
Name
Year Adopted
Last Amended
Immigration and Deportation Amendment Act 19 of 2016
2016
The Human Rights Commission Act, 39 of 1996
1996
Prisons Act, 1965
1966
Regulations, Standards, Guidelines
Name
Year Published
Immigration and Deportation Act: Subsidiary Legislation (Chapter 123)
2010
Refugee (Control) Act: Subsidiary Legislation (Chapter 120)
1970
The Immigration and Deportation (General) Regulations, 2011
2011
The Immigration and Deportation (General) (Amendment) Regulations, 2020
2020
Expedited/Fast Track Removal

Yes

2012
Summary Removal/Pushbacks

No

2010
Re-Entry Ban

Yes

2010
Legal Tradition(s)

Common law

2017

Customary law

2017

GROUNDS FOR DETENTION

Immigration-Status-Related Grounds

Detention for unauthorised entry or stay

2010

Detention to effect removal

2010
Non-Immigration-Status-Related Grounds in Immigration Legislation

Detention on public order, threats or security grounds

2017

Detention on health-related grounds

2010
Criminal Penalties for Immigration-Related Violations
Fines
Incarceration
Year
Yes
Yes
2010
Grounds for Criminal Immigration-Related Incarceration / Maximum Length of Incarceration
Grounds for Incarceration
Maximum n. of Days
Year
Unauthorized entry
120
2010
Has the Country Decriminalised Immigration-Related Violations?

No

2010
Children & Other Vulnerable Groups
Group
In Law
In Practice
Year
Refugees
Provided
2017
Mandatory Detention
Detention
For
Year
Yes
Non-citizens who have violated a re-entry ban
2010

LENGTH OF DETENTION

Maximum Length of Administrative Immigration Detention

120

2010
Average Length of Immigration Detention

14

2010
Maximum Length of Detention of Asylum-Seekers

1460

2017
Recorded Length of Immigration Detention

14

2015
Maximum Length in Custody Prior to Detention Order

30

2010
Maximum Length of Detention at Port of Entry

14

2010
Maximum Length of Incarceration for Immigration-Related Criminal Conviction

365

2010

DETENTION INSTITUTIONS

Custodial Authorities
Agency
Ministry
Typology
Year
Department of Immigration
Ministry of Home Affairs
Interior or Home Affairs
2010
Apprehending Authorities
Name
Agency
Ministry
Year
Department of Immigration
Immigration agency
2010
Zambia Police Service
Police
1965
Detention Facility Management
Entity
Type
Year
Zambia Correctional Service
Governmental
1966
Formally Designated Detention Estate?
Designated
Type
Year
Yes
Any facility designated by relevant authority
1966
Types of Detention Facilities Used in Practice

Yes

Yes

Yes

2022

PROCEDURAL STANDARDS & SAFEGUARDS

Procedural Standards
Name
In Law
In Practice
Year
Right to appeal the lawfulness of detention
Yes
No
2020
Right to legal counsel
Yes
Infrequently
2019
Access to asylum procedures
Yes
Yes
2019
Duration of Time between Detention Reviews (Day)

14

2010
Legal Appeals (Year)
N. of Appeals
N. of Successful Appeals
Year
2186
2047
2015
Are Non-Custodial Measures/Alternatives to Detention (ATDs) Provided in Law?
Immigration Law
Asylum/Refugee Law
Year
Yes
2010
Does the Law Stipulate Consideration of Non-Custodial Measures (ATDs) before Imposing Detention?

Yes

2010
Types of Non-Custodial Measures (ATDs) Provided in Law
Name
In Law
In Practice
Year
Provision of a guarantor
Yes
2010
Impact of Legal ATDs on Overall Detention Rates
Impact
Nature
Year
Decreased
"Zambia’s National Screening and Referral Mechanism has successfully diverted many migrants in vulnerable situations from the detention system and has been highlighted globally for several years as a success story."
2021
Access to Detainees
Lawyer
Family
NGOs
Int. Monitors
Consular Reps.
Year
Limited or Some Detention Centres Only
Yes
Yes
2019
Recouping Detention or Removal Costs

Unknown

2010

COSTS & OUTSOURCING

COVID-19 DATA

TRANSPARENCY

Transparency Score on Migration-Related Detention

Little or No Transparency

2021
Publicly Accessible List of Detention Centres?

Not Applicable

2015
Publicly Accessible Statistics on Numbers of People Detained?

Partial

2019
Disaggregated Detention Data?

Yes

2019
Access to Information Legislation?

Partial

2002

MONITORING

Types of Authorised Detention Monitoring Institutions
Institution
Type
Year
Zambia Human Rights Commission
National Human Rights Institution (or Ombudsperson) (NHRI)
2019
Chapter One Foundation
Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO)
2019
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
International or Regional Bodies (IRBs)
2019
Prisons Care and Counseling Association
Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO)
2019
Police Public Complaints Commission
Internal Inspection Agency (IIA)
2019
Institutions that Can Make Unannounced Visits

Zambia Human Rights Commission

2013

NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS MONITORING BODIES

National Human Rights Institution (NHRI)
Present?
Official name
NHRI Recognised by GANHRI?
Visits by NHRI?
NHRI receives complaints?
NHRI releases reports on Immigration detention?
Year
Yes
Zambia Human Rights Commission
Yes
Yes
Yes
1996
NHRI Monitoring Reports

The State of Human Rights in Zambia, 2017-2018

NATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISMS (OPTIONAL PROTOCOL TO UN CONVENTION AGAINST TORTURE)

NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS (NGOS)

Do NGOs publish reports on immigration detention?

Yes

2010
NGO Immigration Detention Monitoring Reports

"Unjust and Unhealthy: HIV, TB, and Abuse in Zambian Prisons", 27 April 2010

GOVERNMENTAL MONITORING BODIES

INTERNATIONAL DETENTION MONITORING

International Monitoring Bodies that Carry Out Detention Monitoring Visits
Monitoring body
Frequency
International monitoring reports on migration-related detention

International Organization for Migration, Migration in Zambia: A Country Profile 2019

INTERNATIONAL TREATIES & TREATY BODIES

International Treaties Ratified
Ratification Year
Observation Date
VCCR, Vienna Convention on Consular Relations
2016
2017
ICERD, International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
1972
2017
ICESCR, International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
1984
2017
ICCPR, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
1984
2017
CEDAW, Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
1985
2017
CAT, Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
1998
2017
CRC, Convention on the Rights of the Child
1991
2017
CRPD, Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
2010
2017
ICPED, International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance
2011
2017
CRSR, Geneva Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees
1969
2017
CRSSP, Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons
1974
2017
CTOCTP, Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children
2005
2017
CTOCSP, Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime
2005
2017
Ratio of relevant international treaties ratified
Ratio: 13/19
Treaty Reservations
Reservation Year
Observation Date
ICESCR Article 13
1984
2017
CRSR Article 22
1969
2017
CRSSP Article 22
1974
2017
Individual Complaints Procedures
Acceptance Year
ICCPR, First Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 1966 1984
1984
Ratio of Complaints Procedures Accepted
Observation Date
1/8
2017
Relevant Recommendations or Observations Issued by Treaty Bodies
Recommendation Year
Observation Date
Human Rights Committee 36. The State party should: (a) Take steps to harmonize its legislation and bring it into full compliance with the Covenant and international standards protecting refugees and migrants; (b) Ensure that the detention of migrants and asylum-seekers is reasonable, necessary and proportionate, in accordance with the Committee’s general comment No. 35 (2014) on liberty and security of person, and that alternatives to detention are used in practice; (c) Provide immigration and law enforcement officers dealing with migrants and refugees with adequate training on the rights of asylum-seekers, refugees and migrants under the Covenant and other international standards; (d) Ensure access to legal aid for migrants in detention facilities. 2023
2023
2023
Committee on the Rights of the Child 39 The Committee recommends that the State party : (a) Provide alternatives with the aim of ending detention for asylum-seeking, refugee and migrant children and for families with children; (b) Ensure that age assessments are multidisciplinary and take into account the best interests of the child; (c) Strengthen and provide sustainable funding for the national referral mechanism for the provision of assistance to asylum-seeking, refugee and migrant children. 2022
2022
2022
Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination § 34. The State party: (a) Amend the Refugee Act No. 1 (2017) to ensure that refugees and asylum seekers have the right to access employment, health care and education, and enjoy freedom of movement, and that effective protection is provided to them against refoulement; (b) Develop and effectively implement a long-term strategy that provides a durable solution for the local integration of refugees, especially with regard to education and access to decent livelihoods, as living in camps does not represent a durable solution; (c) Improve the material conditions of refugee camps and ensure that refugees and asylum seekers staying in such camps enjoy an adequate standard of living and access to basic social services; (d) Consider lifting its reservations to articles 17, 22, 26 and 28 of the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. 2019
2019
Committee on the Rights of the Child § 56. "The Committee recommends that the State party expedite the adoption of the Refugee Bill and strengthen the legal protection of refugee children. The Committee also urges the State party to provide refugee children with access to social services, such as health and education." 2016
2016

> UN Special Procedures

> UN Universal Periodic Review

Relevant Recommendations or Observations from the UN Universal Periodic Review
Observation Date
No 2023 4th
2023
No 2008
2017
No 2012
2017

> Global Compact for Migration (GCM)

GCM Resolution Endorsement
Observation Date
2018

> Global Compact on Refugees (GCR)

GCR Resolution Endorsement
Observation Date
2018

REGIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS MECHANISMS

Regional Legal Instruments
Year of Ratification (Treaty) / Transposed (Directive) / Adoption (Regulation)
Observation Date
ACHPR, African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights 1984
1984
2017
APRW, Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol) 2006
2006
2017

HEALTH CARE PROVISION

Provision of Healthcare in Detention Centres
Yes
protprot 2019
Medical Screening upon Arrival at Detention Centres (within 48 hours)
Yes
protprot 1966
Psychological Evaluation upon Arrival at Detention Centres
Yes
protprot 1966
Doctor on Duty at Detention Centres
At least once a week
protprot 1966
Nurse on Duty at Detention Centres
At least once a week
protprot 1966
Psychologist Visits to Detention Centres
Unknown
protprot 1966

HEALTH IMPACTS

COVID-19

Country Updates
On December 11, 27 people were found dead in an agricultural area north of Zambia's capital, Lusaka. The dead, dumped one on top of the other in the street, are presumed to be Ethiopian migrants. According to a police spokesman who spoke to the BBC, the migrants are believed to have “suffocated to death while in transit.” Previously in October, the bodies of 30 presumed Ethiopian migrants were found in a mass grave in neighbouring Malawi. Although Zambia has historically been the destination for hundreds of thousands of refugees, the country has become an important transit for migrants travelling from the Horn of Africa to South Africa in search of refuge and work. Part of a wider “Southern Route” which includes countries such as Malawi and Mozambique, significant numbers of migrants pass through Zambia, who are often at grave risk of abuse. According to the IOM, “Africa is the second-deadliest region for people on the move, with more than 9,000 deaths during migration documented on the continent since 2014,” says the IOM. “Regional household surveys indicate that these figures are almost certainly a vast undercount.” On top of this, migrants in Zambia frequently face arrest and arbitrary detention. The country’s Immigration and Deportation Act (2010) provides the legal framework for the arrest and deportation of undocumented and overstaying migrants, for illegal entry, and for unauthorised presence in urban areas. Enforcement is rigorous, at least on paper. Officers are allowed to search workplaces or educational institutions without a warrant if a so-called illegal immigrant is suspected to be there. In the past, authorities have conducted coordinated operations to reduce the number of undocumented and overstaying immigrants in the country. In 2016, police officers in Lusaka conducted patrols to find “illegal immigrants,” leading to the arrest of 5,747 people. During this operation, authorities primarily focused on the informal settlements around Lusaka where many undocumented migrants reside. Since then, the Department of Immigration has continued to report mass arrests and detention of undocumented migrants. Child migrants have also been amongst those detained in Zambia. Although Zambian authorities have introduced a National Referral Mechanism (NRM) and associated Guidelines, which provide for the protection of vulnerable non-nationals including unaccompanied children, it appears that children continue to face detention in the country. In June 2022 the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child recalled joint general comments No. 3 and No. 4 of the Committee on Migrant Workers and Committee on the Rights of the Child (2017) and urged the country to end the use of detention for asylum-seeking, refugee, and migrant children and families with children. Detained migrants are also frequently deported or removed, even to countries such as Ethiopia where some returned refugees and migrants face serious rights abuses. Indeed, between 8 and 12 September this year alone, 107 people were deported to Ethiopia. As Human Rights Watch has reported, Tigrayans returned to Ethiopia have been arbitrarily detained, mistreated, and disappeared following forced returns from countries such as Saudi Arabia. In December 2022, the GDP and partner Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) submitted a freedom of information request to Zambia’s Department of Immigration seeking up-to-date and disaggregated statistics detailing the detention and deportation of non-citizens, as well as a list of facilities currently in use for immigration-related detention. As of 22 December, the GDP and LHR had not received a response.
Although the number of confirmed Covid-19 infections in Zambia remains low (76 as of 22 April), the rate of infection continues to rise. A land-locked country, Zambia announced in late March that it would not close its borders because of the economic impact this would have. President Edgar Lungu said on 26 March, “Zambia is landlocked; and that means, with a crisis of this magnitude, we shall find ourselves under forced lockdown if all our neighbors close their borders. This situation would make us economically vulnerable and weaker.” By mid-April, however, the country started implementing more stringent measures, including in its prisons, which also confine immigration detainees. On 12 April, the authorities announced that they would release all foreign nationals jailed on misdemeanor and immigration charges, and send them back to their countries of origin. The Ministry of Home Affairs said that the move would help reduce overcrowding in detention facilities - where rates of HIV and tuberculosis are known to be high - and protect prisoners who remain. However, because of restrictions on international travel many returns are not possible, so the country says it will regularise the status of migrants. According to the country’s Home Affairs Minister, “For foreign nationals who have exhausted their days and are unable to travel to their countries due to suspension of flights, (they are) to quickly visit the Immigration offices and regularise their stay in Zambia.” The country also says that it has increased measures in border areas, including introducing tests at border crossings, although its border markets - including the Kasumbalesa Common Market near the border with Congo - are to remain open, and placing people arriving from “high-risk” countries in two-week quarantine. According to one report, the health minister said in late April that those arriving from “a COVID -19 High-risk country will be quarantined at a government designated institution but at their own cost.” Zambia hosts a substantial refugee population, including nearly 50,000 Congolese. Concerns have been raised regarding safeguarding measures. UNHCR reports that it is organising local radio messaging in all refugee-hosting areas and engaging with personalities such as local musicians to produce Covid-19 prevention radio and social media messages. The agency has also provided the Ministry of Health with Refugee Housing Units to set-up at high-risk points such as borders.
Did the country release immigration detainees as a result of the pandemic?
Yes
protprot 2020
Did the country use legal "alternatives to detention" as part of pandemic detention releases?
Yes
protprot 2020
Did the country Temporarily Cease or Restrict Issuing Detention Orders?
Yes
protprot 2020
Did the Country Adopt These Pandemic-Related Measures for People in Immigration Detention?
Unknown (Unknown) Yes Unknown Yes
protprot 2021
Did the Country Lock-Down Previously "Open" Reception Facilities, Shelters, Refugee Camps, or Other Forms of Accommodation for Migrant Workers or Other Non-Citizens?
Yes
protprot 2020
Were cases of COVID-19 reported in immigration detention facilities or any other places used for immigration detention purposes?
Unknown
protprot 2021
Did the Country Cease or Restrict Deportations/Removals During any Period After the Onset of the Pandemic?
Unknown
protprot 2021
Did the Country Release People from Criminal Prisons During the Pandemic?
Yes
protprot 2020
Did Officials Blame Migrants, Asylum Seekers, or Refugees for the Spread of COVID-19?
Unknown
protprot 2021
Did the Country Restrict Access to Asylum Procedures?
Unknown
protprot 2021
Did the Country Commence a National Vaccination Campaign?
Yes
protprot 2021
Were Populations of Concern Included/Excluded From the National Vaccination Campaign?
Unknown (Included) Unknown Included Unknown
protprot 2021