Reported by: The Agency Media.
Date: 17th March, 2025.
Lusaka, Zambia.
Zambia’s immigration leadership has reaffirmed its commitment to innovation and strategic transformation during the 2024 Senior Immigration Officers’ Annual Conference, a key forum to assess progress and define future priorities.
Under the theme “Building a Future of Excellence: Embracing Transformation and Innovation in Immigration Services,” senior officials gathered to reflect on achievements and set a focused agenda for the year ahead.
Addressing the delegates, the Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security, Hon. Jack Jacob Mwiimbu, commended the Department of Immigration for notable milestones in 2024, including the recruitment of 367 Immigration Assistants and 102 Border Guards, significantly strengthening the department’s operational capacity. He emphasized that these efforts align with the New Dawn Government’s broader security and development goals under the leadership of President Hakainde Hichilema.
The Minister also highlighted the successful implementation of the Job Evaluation and Re-Grading (JERG) exercise, which has elevated the department’s status and improved remuneration for immigration officers — a development expected to enhance motivation and overall service delivery.
Further demonstrating its commitment to modernizing migration management, the Department has continued to roll out improvements to the Zambia Immigration Management System (ZIMS) and opened new internal border controls, showcasing efforts to enhance border security and service efficiency. The Minister issued a directive to operationalize all newly gazetted offices — Chongwe, Kalumbila, Maamba, Lumi, and Lonshi — by year-end, pledging full ministry support to ensure public access to quality immigration services.
Despite commendable progress, the Minister acknowledged ongoing challenges, including staff and office accommodation shortages and the delayed completion of the new Immigration Headquarters due to broader economic constraints. Encouragingly, construction has resumed, with completion expected before the end of 2025.
The procurement of eight new Land Cruiser vehicles for deployment to priority stations was noted as a tangible response to transportation constraints faced by officers in remote and challenging terrains. The government remains committed to further addressing these logistics challenges.
However, the Minister urged sustained focus on persistent issues, such as irregular migration, transnational organized crime, regional political instability, and the pressing need for upgraded infrastructure. He called on the senior officers to use the conference as a platform for critical reflection, innovation, and collaboration in formulating solutions that are both strategic and actionable.
In his closing remarks, the Minister encouraged participants to engage with open minds and a forward-thinking approach, aiming to strengthen Zambia’s border management while contributing to national security and socio-economic development.
“The complexity of today’s migration and security challenges demands not only robust strategies but also collective commitment. I urge each of you to leave this conference with renewed energy, clear objectives, and actionable targets that will propel the Department of Immigration to greater heights,” he concluded.
The Agency.