Cape town (Sunatimes) Over seven hundred immigrants mainly Somalis and Ethiopians are stranded at the border between Tanzania and Mozambique.

Reports say the immigrants who were believed to be heading to South Africa arrived in Tanzania in small boats which ferried them from Kenyan coast and were later intercepted by Mozambique security officers while illegally attempting to cross to Mozambique.

Mozambique security officers at the border are said to have deported the illegal immigrants back to Tanzania but authorities in Tanzanian rejected to host them as asylum seekers in their country.

Chairman of the Somali Association of Mozambique, Abdirisak Mohamed Artan told Bar-Kulan that both Mozambique and Tanzanian authorities have refused to admit the immigrants into their countries and are currently stranded at the border between the two countries.

Abdirisak Mohamed Artan also said the Somali and Ethiopian immigrants are facing humanitarian difficulties with some in bad health conditions.

Authorities in Mozambique have earlier announced that they will not accept illegal immigrants crossing from Tanzanian side of the border, saying that the immigrants ought to get asylum in Tanzania.

By Abdullahi Balwaan