Zambia arrested 5,747 illegal immigrants in 2016, a top immigration official said on Monday.

Moola Milomo, director-general of the Immigration Department, said out of the arrested immigrants, 3,388 were deported back to their countries of origin.

More officers were required to effectively handle increased cases of migrants and cross border activities, the official said in remarks delivered during an annual senior and regional strategic and planning meeting in Lusaka, the country's capital.

Minister of Home Affairs Stephen Kampyongo, during the same occasion, promised to improve the welfare of immigration officers.

Source: Xinhua