Govt justifies asylum processing delays
Government has justified its delays in processing asylum seekers from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) who camped at Karonga Immigration Office for three weeks as they awaited permission to proceed to the transit shelter.
Asked why it took them three weeks to process the asylum seekers, Principal Secretary for Homeland Security Steven Kayuni said there were good reasons for the delay, including human trafficking issues and an increase of immigrants into Malawi.
He said the Refugees Commission Department and Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services were working on resolving the matter within the requirements of the law.
“As a country, we are battling an upsurge and influx on the immigration front. Human trafficking is also being guised as refugees and asylum seekers. There are a number of processes within Homeland Security that work in tandem.
“There are serious lapses and complications that immigration and refugees department have to follow. It is important that procedures are followed sir. The energising of the Refugees Committee will clear this process,” said Kayuni.
On the other hand, Immigration Department spokesperson Wellington Chiponde said the delay is part of ensuring that formalities of admitting asylum seeker s are followed.
He said when processing documenta t ion , the department recognises the well-founded fear that compels the asylum seekers to leave their respective countries and seek protection in Malawi.
Chiponde said the procedure of granting the asylum seeker status starts from the port of entry, saying the exercise requires thorough scrutiny as it hinges on national security and cannot be completed in a day or two.
He said: “Once individuals present themselves at Songwe Border, claiming to seek asylum in Malawi, they are referred to the Sub- Regional Immigration Office in Karonga where each case is individually assessed for the claimant to get admission to Karonga transit shelter.
Karonga Immigration office acting officer in-charge Maliseni Phiri confirmed yesterday that documentation for the asylum seekers has now been done and the 48 DRC nationals, who were stranded in Karonga, have proceeded to the transit shelter.
Transit Shelter field officer Msanje Ng’oma also confirmed that they have received the asylum seekers and were processing biometrics for their short stay at the site before proceeding to Dzaleka Refugee Camp.
Reacting to the development, Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) director of civil and political rights Peter Chisi said the delay appears to be a perennial problem as there was a similar situation between January and April this year, where about 90 asylum seekers were also stranded in Karonga.
He said MHRC will be following up with the departments of Immigration and Refugees to understand what the problem is and also request for swift action.
