Dar es Salaam – “Ensure that all migrants without status in the United Republic of Tanzania are registered and their status determined in a fair and transparent manner and in accordance with the prevailing law of the land”: this was the rallying call at the just concluded workshop to validate the landmark “Migrant Registration Strategy Document” held in Dar e Salaam.

The document will guide the path towards the determination of status of some 500,000 long-term irregular migrants residing in Tanzania.

The strategy review workshop, facilitated by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in close collaboration with the government Tanzania brought together 28 government officers from Tanzania Immigration Service Department (TISD), the Refugee Service Department, the National Identification Authority, the Registration Insolvency and Trusteeship Agency and the President’s Office.

Participants at the workshop reviewed and updated the Comprehensive Migration Management Strategy for Tanzania (COMMIST), first developed in 2014, for the purposes of agreeing on a comprehensive, consultative and binding standard operating procedures that outlines the steps to be taken by TISD on electronic registration of long-term irregular migrants in the United Republic of Tanzania.

Through the e-registration of these migrants, the government will be able to assess them for regularization.

Erasmo Frances from the office of the Commissioner General of Immigration emphasized the government’s commitment to register and determine the status of migrants in the country in a fair and transparent manner and in accordance with the prevailing laws.

On his part, Neil Abbott, the representative of the Government of the United Kingdom said; “We stand ready to continue working with the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania, the UN system and international organizations in ensuring that the challenges of irregular migration are addressed in a humane and orderly manner.”

Qasim Sufi, IOM Chief of Mission in Tanzania stressed IOM’s unwavering support to the Government of Tanzania.

“I know for a fact the migrants themselves are yearning to know their immigration status. This illustrates how proper documentation benefits not only the government but the migrants themselves. In this regard I thank the Immigration Services Department for leading the endeavour towards status determination and regularization,” Sufi, said.

The workshop is part of a multi-year UK Government funded project titled “Migrant Registration Support for Tanzania”.

For more information, please contact:
David HOFMEIJER IOM Tanzania   Email: dhofmeijer@iom.int          Tel: +255 699 674 975
Gracia ANTHONY IOM Tanzania    Email: ganthony@iom.int             Tel: +255 716 204 156