108 refugees set to leave Thursday

Some refugees and asylum seekers are opting to voluntarily return to their respective countries due to limited resources at Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Dowa, Burundian camp leader Niyibigira Goreth has observed.

She expressed the sentiments in a telephone interview yesterday following The Nation’s enquiry on whether the 108 Burundian refugees and asylum seekers scheduled for repatriation on October 5 2023, are leaving voluntarily.

This group will be the second cohort of refugees and asylum seekers to leave the country since April 2023 when the Malawi Government enforced the relocation to Dzaleka. The first group comprising 38 left in July.

Said Goreth: “No-one was forced, they chose to go voluntarily. We all came here for different reasons. And it is one’s choice, depending on how they find life in the camp, to leave or to stay.”

However, Goreth admitted that with limited resources, life in the camp is not easy, adding that this and security issues could be the reason why many are leaving.

Currently, refugees are getting $5.90 per person (about K6 700) per month to cover basics such as soap and food items.

In a separate interview, Ministry of Homeland Security spokesperson Patrick Botha said the refugees asked the Malawi Government to facilitate their safe return home.

“The government works in collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [UNHCR] and their home countries to ensure not just safe passage, but also the issue of reintegration. Hence a three months reintegration package from UNHCR is provided for each returning refugee,” he said.

The grievances over the limited resources are coming a few months after the World Food Programme (WFP) in August cut by 50 percent its assistance to more than 51 000 vulnerable refugees at Dzaleka, leaving thousands struggling to meet their dietary needs.

In a July 2023 media release, WFP acting country director Simon Denhere said the reduction was due to chronic funding shortfalls; and the humanitarian organisation has been providing reduced rations since 2020.

In May this year, Malawi Government launched a crackdown on refugees and asylum seekers to restrict their residence to the designated camp in Dowa.