Let’s try the Uganda model for managing refugees

Refugees. Asylum seekers. Illegal immigrants. Economic immigrants. Economic saboteurs. These are some of the many unpalatable words that have been used to describe the people the police recently swept away back into Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Dowa.

The police operation has been condemned by some, especially the so-called human rights civil society organisations and individuals.

Others, like vendors, have heaped praises on the government for doing what previous regimes failed to implement because, it is alleged, the officers and political “bigs” received bribes to silently drop the exercise.

According to Malawian refugee policies, genuine and screened refugees and asylum seekers must stay in refugee camps until they return to their countries of origin or when their status changes.

If the refugees  or asylum seekers are found loitering, doing business and other things outside the camps, they must be brought back to the camps by force or cajolement.

For months before the operation, the Malawi government advised refugees and asylum seekers  living and operating businesses in rural areas and towns to return to their camp. For months, the advice and call were ignored. Then the government acted. Then human rights actors woke up to condemn the operation and not the refugees for defying the government call.  Funny how human rights protectors condone law-breaking. Not so?

Some of us had expected the human rights defenders and protectors to have intervened at the time the government called on the refugees to return to their camps to offer solutions.

As good citizens, unlike the mere condemners that call themselves human rights policemen, we, guided by our indefatigable, impeccable, and unimpeachable Genuine Prof Dr Joyce Befu, MG 66 and MEGA-1, hereby offer suggestions to sort out the refugee conundrum forever.

We propose that Malawi should adopt the Uganda model of handling refugees. Uganda hosts more refugees than any other country on the African continent. According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNCHR) the number of refugees in Ugandan refugee camps hovers around 1.5 million while Malawi hosts less than 22 thousand refugees. Basi.

Despite this large number of refugees, Uganda is not complaining about the influx of fresh refugees. Why? It has refugee-friendly policies.  For its welcoming policies, Uganda has earned worldwide kudos and large sums of money.

Uganda follows the Kampala Declaration on Jobs, Livelihoods & Self-reliance for Refugees, Returnees & Host Communities in IGAD Region and other international instruments to the letter.

In Uganda, refugees live in camps, yes. However, they are allowed to get permits to access formal employment or conduct businesses. Employed refugees stay in their camps but they go out to work or conduct in urban areas. Both the refugees and Ugandan economy benefit .

Secondly, in Museveni’s country, refugees are budgeted for. The health and education budgets indicate how much is allocated to refugees so that refugees receive good health and education without discrimination. This implies that international funds meant for refugee support is channelled to the Ugandan national budget.

 Malawi has been a host to refugees for almost 50 years, especially during the Mozambican war for independence and later during that country’s internecine fighting.  During that period Mozambican refugees were registered and easily mixed and mingled with locals. Of course the majority were in the designated camps.

Over the years the refugee problem has become unmanageable due to alleged corruption among officials and locals who receive money to host the refugees privately. 

Of late, economic migrants have been alleged to pay village heads, police officers, and others to pass through Malawi to other destinations. Some have even married Malawians to easily get Malawian citizenship and crucial documents like passports and National Identity Cards.

These problems will end if refugees are allowed to legally work, legally conduct businesses, legally marry, and legally apply for citizenship.  Let us accept that the refugee population is very much part of Malawi’s reality and the country should start budgeting for it like Uganda does.