Tanzania has arrested more than 7000 people believed to be foreigners that were living, working and trading in the country illegally.
An official statement from the immigration reveals that during the recent crackdown, authorities have so far managed to deport 4000 other aliens back to their respective countries of origin.
The spokesperson of the Immigration Department in Tanzania, Paul Msele stated that the 7,069 aliens were smoked out during a four-months operation conducted between January and April 2025 throughout the country.
According to the immigration spokesperson, the arrested suspects hailing from different nations have been living and or working in the country without securing the necessary residence or working permits.
So far, a total of 1008 immigrants have already appeared in court.
And among the suspected aliens who were charged in courts, 703 immigrants have been sentenced to serve jail terms in prisons.
As it happens, 4,796 other suspects were sent back to their countries of origin as prohibited immigrants.
The busy Kariakoo trading district of Dar-es-salaam which has been accused of hoarding illegal immigrants, precisely Chinese vendors, was also specifically targeted during the operation against aliens in Tanzania.
A total of 62 foreigners were arrested from the Kariakoo area, among them Chinese nationals and other people from assorted countries. Many have also been thrown out of the country for trading there illegally.
“Others were working contrary to the country’s laws and regulations, including going against their permits,” said the Immigration Officer, Msele.
Recently there have been complaints that, Chinese nationals were flocking into the Kariakoo area in dar-es-salaam and taking up petty jobs like vending commodities and hawking, some even selling roast maize cobs.
Still, there are 305 other foreign suspects, whose cases are still pending ongoing investigations regarding their residential statuses.
On the other hand, a total of 257 suspected foreigners have managed to legalize their stay in Tanzania, in one way or another. At least, according to the statement from the Immigration Department.