Statement On Refugees And Asylum Seekers Relocation

By Undule Mwakasungula

Lilongwe, Malawi: The current Ministry of Homeland Security exercise of re – locating refugees and asylum seekers back to Dzaleka camp has drawn mixed feelings in the way it is being conducted.

Information that the refugees and asylum seekers while waiting re location to Dzaleka camp have been taken to Maula prison and some in police cells/custody is worrisome.

This raises many questions such as why take them to Maula prison and put them in police cells as if are criminals? secondly why not wait the re-locating exercise until the Dzaleka camp is ready to occupy all the refuges and asylum seekers?

It is well documented that Dzaleka camp is over- populated as was initially established to host between 10,000 to 12,000 but now hosts over 52,000 individuals. Further the camp lacks basic necessities including food for the refugees and asylum seekers welfare and survival.

The fear is due to these shortfalls and lack of meeting their needs this will push women and young girls’ refugees and asylum seekers into selling thier bodies for the sake of survival.

Therefore, we must not be excited with this exercise otherwise the re-location of the refugees and asylum seekers will bring and increase sexual exploitation of women and young girls. We can not turn a blind eye on the plight of women, young girls, children, the sick and elderly in this re-location exercise.

The exercise must priorities and protect their vulnerability. Further the protracted nature of the camp increases the risks to infectious diseases, protection, and self-sufficiency.

But it is time we dealt with the problem of refugees and asylum seekers. The government must look at lasting solutions to the plight of refugees and asylum seekers. The government must explore some of the following measures: –
• Return some refugees and asylum seekers to their countries voluntarily where peace has returned.

Enhance cross boarder monitoring to curb the trafficking of refugees and asylum seekers into Malawi. This is view of increase of trafficking of refugees and asylum seekers into Malawi because Malawi is viewed as a safe location for refugees and asylum seekers.

• Issue national legal documentation if/where necessary to some of the refugees.
Lastly government plans to establish another refugee camp is not ideal as this will encourage more trafficking and inflow of refugees and asylum seekers into Malawi.

Malawi must stop to looked like a safe location for refugees and asylum seekers as that will create a big problem in the years to come in terms of land, business opportunity and space.

Undule Mwakasungula
Governance and Human Rights Advocate
Cell: +265 991 143 568/Email: [email protected]

18th May, 2023/Lilongwe/Malawi