Parliamentarians slam false asylum claims by Batswana abroad

The Legislators said they are aware of reports indicating that certain citizens mislead host countries by alleging that they fled Botswana due to fears of ritual killings, escalating gender-based violence (GBV), or other threats to personal safety. They warned that such allegations, described as unfounded, paint a misleading and damaging picture of the country’s human rights record and overall safety.

The MPs made the remarks when responding to a question that was asked by the MP for Tlokweng, Phenyo Segokgo. Segokgo had asked the Minister of International Relations if he was aware of any citizens of Botswana who have sought asylum in the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom, and to also state the reported numbers of such asylum seekers in each country over the past five years.