Tanzania: The penalty for persons caught trying to leave the country illegally as stowaways on a ship; the penalty associated with being charged with vagrancy
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 May 1999 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | TZA31945.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Tanzania: The penalty for persons caught trying to leave the country illegally as stowaways on a ship; the penalty associated with being charged with vagrancy, 1 May 1999, TZA31945.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6acb844.html [accessed 8 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
According to the Secretary General of the Mission to Seamen in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania has the highest percentage of stowaways in Africa (26 May 1999). He stated that stowaways are normally caught after they have left the country. The shipping company, he explained, has two options: keep the stowaway on the ship until the ship returns to Tanzania, or find a country that will take them into temporary custody until arrangements are made to return the stowaway to Tanzania at the expense of the shipping company (ibid.).
On return to Tanzania, he explained, the stowaway is charged with illegal exit and is fined 10,000 Tanzania shillings (equivalent to £10.00), and if he fails to pay, he is sentenced to serve one year in jail. Normally, he stated, individuals manage to raise the fine (ibid.) He stated that stowaways are not subjected to harassment after paying the fine or serving the jail term. On the contrary, some of them have a tendency to repeat the process, he said. Corroborating information could not be found within the time constraints of this Response.
No reports on the penalty associated with being charged with vagrancy could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please see below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Mission to Seamen, Dar-es-Salaam. 26 May 1999. Telephone interview with Secretary General.
Additional Sources Consulted
Africa Confidential [London]. January 1997 - December 1998. Vols. 37-38. Nos. 1-25.
Africa Research Bulletin: Political, Social and Cultural Series [Oxford]. 1997-1998. Vols. 34-35. Nos. 1-12.
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1997. 1998. United States Department of State. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Press.
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1998. 1999. United States Department of State: Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office.
The Indian Ocean Newsletter [Paris]. Weekly. January 1998-April 1999. Nos. 793-854.
Keesing's Record of World Events [Cambridge]. January 1998-January 1999. Monthly. Vols. 44-45.
Electronic sources: IRB databases, Internet, LEXIS/NEXIS, World Network Connection (WNC)
One oral source consulted did not provide information on the requested subject.
