Botswana will soon relocate at least 469 asylum seekers currently detained at the Francistown Centre for Illegal Immigrants. They will be taken to Dukwi Refugee Camp, northeast of Gaborone.
The asylum seekers are from the war-torn eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Namibia, Zimbabwe and the better Great Lakes.
They include an estimated 102 children.
Botswanas Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Nelson Ramaotwana says Since the current government is an upholder of human rights, we cannot keep you in prison without any charge, without any trial, without any conviction. On the basis of the report that was prepared by the Assistant Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Augustine Nyatanga together with the concern of the First Lady Kaone Boko and after consultation and internalization of the report, we came to a conclusion, as a collective that you have to be relocated to Dukwi Refugee Camp. There is going to be some logistical preparations for your relocation. That logistical preparation requires two weeks to thirty days.
