Govt concedes asylum seekers were detained �far too long�

The asylum seekers are fighting to leave the FCII
The asylum seekers are fighting to leave the FCII

Lawyers representing government in a case in which it is fighting to overturn High Court decisions ordering the release of 167 rejected asylum seekers currently incarcerated at the Francistown Centre for Illegal Immigrants (FCII), have admitted that most, if not all of them were detained far too long at the Centre.

The High Court ruled that the asylum seekers should be relocated to Dukwi Refugee Camp (DRC).

Advocate Paul Farlam SC, acting on the instructions of government legal representatives, Collins Newman and Co told a full bench of Court of Appeal (CoA) justices last week, that authorities ought to have communicated with the petitioners on the extension of their detention post 28 days awaiting removal from Botswana.

Editor's Comment
Prosecutors deserve better

These legal professionals, who are entrusted with upholding the rule of law, face numerous challenges that compromise their ability to effectively carry out their duties.Elsewhere in this edition, we carry a story on the lamentations of the officers of court.The prosecutors have raised a number of concerns, calling for urgent attention from all relevant stakeholders, including the President, Minister of Justice and the Attorney General. Their...

Have a Story? Send Us a tip
arrow up