Staff Reporter
ACCORDING to Pastor Petrus Undari, who has been in the UK for 21 years and is a community leader for Namibians in the UK, most Namibians travel to the UK and seek asylum for better opportunities. The UK government, in a recent announcement, said that Namibian nationals will need a visa before travelling to the UK, including for visits, due to the increasing number of asylum seekers from Namibia over the years, which has led to the abuse of the system.
According to statistics shared by the UK government, a total of 651 Namibians applied for asylum in the UK, while a further 382 applications were received in the first quarter of 2023. Currently, there are over 1200 pending Namibian asylum claims, including a majority from 2022 and 2023.
Any Namibian national whose asylum application is declined or who has overstayed their visit visa will be asked to leave. If they do not leave voluntarily, they are subject to deportation, as warned in a statement shared by the UK government.
Commenting on the matter, Pastor Undari said that this has not come as a surprise or shock to Namibians in the UK, as they have experienced stringent regulations when trying to visit the UK, even when visas were not required. Undari further noted that most Namibians travel to the UK by plane and are closely monitored by immigration officials, which is in contrast to nationals from other states who arrive in large numbers by boat, putting a heavy burden on the UK’s health and housing system.
“The push factors are the economic issues we face; most come here as economic refugees. People do not want to mention this, but it is a reality. However, every person’s case is unique and different. What will happen to the young Namibian people who wanted to migrate and make a difference? Our people will suffer, and crime will increase due to the high unemployment rate. We have to approach this in a holistic manner,” Undari said.
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