Close to 300 000 people have come home for the festive season, a figure significantly higher than last year’s inbound travellers, when the Government introduced stringent Covid-19 measures to curb a fourth wave of the pandemic then.
Statistics from the Immigration Department show that 281 715 people entered the country between December 1 and 21, while 219 902 exited through official ports over the same period.

The country’s busiest port of entry, Beitbridge Border Post, had cleared 177 106 inbound travellers by last Wednesday, while an additional 126 569 were given clearance to exit.

Over the same period, the department cleared 26 484 inbound travellers and 24 312 exiting travellers at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport.

The department is projecting that Beitbridge will handle an average 12 674 people entering the country every day over the Christmas holidays, while about 7 600 will exit through the port daily.

Entry into the country for the Christmas holidays dropped to record lows last year, as the country battled a raging 4th wave of the coronavirus pandemic, with border authorities clearing an average of 2 000 travellers a day, down from the pre-Covid-19 highs of 15 000.

Ahead of the festive season last year, the Government introduced mandatory Covid-19 PCR test requirements for all returning citizens, coupled with a 10-day quarantine for those who tested positive for the virus.

The authorities have, over the course of this year, progressively scaled down entry restrictions, with inbound travellers now only required to produce either a valid Covid-19 vaccination certificate or a negative PCR test result.

Chief immigration officer Mrs Respect Gono told The Sunday Mail that the number of travellers will triple as the holiday season progresses.

“We have been clearing an average of 1 481 per day at Forbes, 1 704 at Chirundu, 1 000 at Nyamapanda and 1 996 at Plumtree since the beginning of the peak period,” she said.

“We are anticipating a surge as more people come into the country and some going out for the festive holiday.

“From December 15, movement was projected to triple for major borders like Beitbridge, Chirundu, Robert Gabriel Mugabe Airport, Plumtree and Victoria Falls.”

To speed up the clearing processes at the ports of entry, Mrs Gono said the department will open up additional serving points.

“In order to de-congest our ports of entry, we are beefing up manpower through suspension of all forms of leave, opening of additional service points, engaging with local and inter-border stakeholders to have a coordinated service delivery and facilitate smooth and effective passage of all travellers,” said Mrs Gono.

She said modernisation of Beitbridge Border Post has eased movement of traffic.

“On Beitbridge, the structure of the recently modernised border is a major tool to de-congest traffic as it is premised on the separation of traffic.

“The border has three different terminals – the commercial terminal, bus terminal and pedestrian terminal.

“Separation of traffic de-congests and eases movement.”

She said robust measures were put in place to mitigate smuggling of goods and undocumented people.

“Since the beginning of this month we have arrested 3 304 border jumpers.

“Border line patrols with other border security agencies, inland patrols and roadblocks with police and military personnel have already been initiated.

“We have increased spot checks and motor traffic searches, screening of vehicles and buses on entry and exit sides and prosecution of smugglers and those assisting illegal movement,” she said.

Movement of people into the country was depressed over the last two years owing to Covid-19 containment protocols, which have since been eased.-state media