About 709 Namibian nationals living at Dukwi refugee camp face deportation back to their country of origin after the Court of Appeal ruled that they should be repatriated to Namibia. The Namibians and the government of Botswana have been embroiled in a bitter and protracted legal battle after the latter terminated their refugee status in December 2018. The Namibians who regard themselves as Caprivians fled Namibia 20 years ago due to the crackdown by security forces at the Caprivi Strip. The Namibian nationals currently residing at Dukwi refugee camp strongly belief that Caprivi Strip should be an independent country from Namibia. This week, Director in the Ministry of Defence Justice and Security, Thobo Lethage and her delegation travelled to Dukwi refugee camp to address the Namibians and urged them to register for voluntary repatriation or face deportation. At the meeting, spokesperson of the Namibians, Felix Kakula said they acknowledge that they have overstayed in Botswana and that they are no longer refugees but illegal immigrants after their refugee status was terminated by the government of Botswana. Kakula highlighted they will not register for voluntary repatriation because they are afraid of persecution by the Namibian government upon their return home. “Most…