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City neigbouhood residents worried by influx of suspected illegal immigrants


Residents of Roysambu area in Nairobi are now a worried lot following the slow but sure return of foreigners from a West African country, who are suspected to be illegal immigrants.

According to some of the area residents, the foreigners, who had been evicted from the neigbourhood nicknamed as Lagos, have been steadily returning to the estate.

Those who spoke to Nairobi News said that the foreigners, who they blamed for prostitution and con games, have been returning in large numbers.

“They are already back six months after they were evicted from the estate. We fear that they will return with their criminal ways,” said one Mary Kamau, who runs a hotel in the area.

Mr James Tochi, a landlord in the estate, said that he recently rented out a two bed-roomed house to two foreigners, but presently the house is home to more than 10 occupants.

He claims his repeated warnings to his tenants have fallen on deaf ear. He however claims that the foreigners, unlike Kenyan citizens, pay rent in time.

STUBBORN TENANTS

“It is so hard to send them away because they pay rent in advance, even for a total of seven months. They are good for business but at the same time very stubborn,” he said.

The crackdown against the illegal immigrants kicked off following an order by the government that all foreigners in the country register afresh.

The order saw many of the foreigners evicted from the area with most of them being arrested, a move that attracted public outcry.

Kenya has not been a good receiver of visitors due to its stringent rules on foreign issues despite a move by President Uhuru Kenyatta that all Africans wishing to visit Kenya be issued with visas at the entry points.

Foreigners have also been accused of taking advantage of the order to engage in criminal activities.

A number of the foreigners, especially those from West Africa, have in recent times been arrested in connection with counterfeit money business, drug trafficking, sexual crimes and fraud.