Govt called to probe refugee rights violations

Civil society organisations (CSOs) advocating for rights of refugees and asylum seekers in the country have reiterated calls for the government to investigate human rights violations committed during the recent refugee relocation exercise.

Speaking at a multi-sector policy dialogue on refugees hosted by Youth and Society (YAS)  in Lilongwe on Friday, Inua Advocacy executive director Innocent Magambi said refugees have suffered many injustices and deserve justice.

The meeting drew different stakeholders, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Inua Advocacy, Malawi Human Rights Commission, Jesuit Refugee Service, and the UN International Organisation for Migration , among others.

Magambi said: “We are willing to work with the government—to provide evidence if they need it, or link them with those who suffered the violence. We are also asking the government to stop the relocation exercise.

“Government requires efforts in fulfilling its pledges on the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework implementation and pledges made at the Global Refugee Forum in 2019. Those are the areas that need efforts from the government.”

On his part, YAS executive director Charles Kajoloweka said with increasing concerns around human rights violations, there was need to dialogue and interrogate the impact of the relocation exercise and to find solutions on how best to move forward.

He said there are concerns around false information that has been used to justify the relocation exercise, and also concerns by civil society of human rights violations that have been registered without proper remedies being provided.

Said Kajoloweka: “We hope that from this dialogue, we’ll foster collaborations and find solutions to the challenges affecting refugees and asylum seekers, not just because of the relocation exercise, but their overall plight in the country.”

The activists further reiterated that the relocation exercise has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis already facing refugees at the camp, noting that basic the rights such as right to food, shelter, and basic essentials like water are not guaranteed at Dzaleka.

Vice leader of the Rwanda Community at Dzaleka Njendahayo Athanase attested to this, saying: “We lack food, schools, and shelter. People are living in the tents that were meant for isolation during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“You find couples sleeping on one mat with their grown children–there is no dignity. Water is another big challenge as people have to queue up a whole day for water that will be used the next day,” he said.

Njendahayo questioned the government’s U-turn on letting asylum seekers live in communities.

“After the 2006 census, the government provided tokens to those who could afford to take care of their families, to integrate with the local communities.

“We are surprised with the sudden change—government sending refugees back to Dzaleka, including those who were offered these tokens. Did UNHCR make that decision on its own without consulting the government?” he wondered.

In view of the limited space at Dzaleka Refugee Camp, which currently hosts 52 000 refugees and asylum seekers against its capacity of 12 000, a new site has been identified at Kayilizi in Chitipa for a new camp.

In a previous interview, Ministry of Homeland Security spokesperson Patrick Botha said the site was recommended for its size and distance from the border.

“Guidelines for establishment of a refugee camp require for a distance of not more than 50 kilometres from the border as this facilitates easy screening of asylum seekers right at the border.

“It also makes it easy for those denied entry or refugee status to return, unlike Dzaleka which is miles into the interior of Malawi and just a few minutes’ drive from the capital city, hence making it easy for these immigrants to infiltrate the city and towns,” he said.