Reports from the Namibian press state that 3 people have been arrested for fraudulently obtaining airline tickets from a staff member at the national carrier Air Namibia (SW), who has since been suspended whilst investigations are carried out into the matter.
It is alleged that the Air Namibia employee also fraudulently helped "people leave for Canada" by circumventing strict checks at Windhoek's Hosea Kutako International Airport instituted by the airline.
"“He would buy tickets on behalf of the clients and fraudulently give them boarding tickets in advance,” said the source. This means that the clients would not need to check in but board the plane directly.
The source accused some Air Namibia staff of receiving kickbacks and taking advantage of people wishing to travel to Canada."Read More Here [NewEra Namibia]
In recent years, Canada has become a favourite place for Namibians
seeking asylum. Given that Namibia is one of three countries in Africa whose passport holders do
not require a visa when visiting Canada for tourism purposes, thereby presenting a tempting destination to a prospective asylum seeker.- a problem the Canadian Government had warned Air Namibia about.
International immigration and border control laws require that every
international airline is obliged to ensure that all its passengers meet
the entry requirements of the country they are travelling to. "Failure to ensure compliance can result in the carrier being subjected to penalties or fines from the respective country," Air Namibia has said.
