The United Nations International Organisation for Migration (IOM) says thousands of undocumented migrants are crossing Malawi’s borders through unofficial routes.
In its September 2024 report for Karonga District, the IOM notesthat none of the 1 175 individuals recorded at its flow monitoring points between Malawi and Tanzania possessed a passport or emergency travel documents.
The report says: “Approximately 95 percent of total travellers observed between Malawi and Tanzania indicated they used informal crossing points when exiting or entering Malawi.
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“This high percentage underscores the prevalence of informal routes in cross-border movements, likely due to factors such as convenience, avoidance of official scrutiny or a lack of accessible formal crossing points.”
Another report for Mangochi District during the same month says only two percent of 2 174 travellers between Malawi and Mozambique had passports and six percent had emergency travel documents.
“These findings suggest potential vulnerabilities among the travelling population which could hinder access to services and legal protections,” the report stated.
In the two reports published on November 11, about 20 percent of the travellers indicated no intention of returning to their countries of origin.
“This indicates a possible shift to permanent residency or indefinite stays which could be driven by factors such as migration, resettlement or a new chapter in their lives,” the report added.
Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services attributed the influx to “certain unpatriotic citizens who aid and abet the illegal entry of foreign nationals.”
“Every citizen should take a proactive role in reporting irregular immigrants to authorities to address their influx,” said its spokesperson Wellington Chiponde in response to a questionnaire.
He added that the department has intensified surveillance against irregular immigrants and is “working with various stakeholders to curb the proliferation of these irregular immigrants.
“Further, with the help of the Malawi Law Commission, we have comprehensively reviewed our archaic Immigration Act, which dates back to 1964. We are optimistic that once it is passed into law, most of the gaps in the current legislation will be addressed,” he said.
Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Security chairperson Salim Bagus said on Wednesday undocumented migrants pose serious challenges to the country’s national security.
“We have designated borders; why should one choose to enter or exit the country without following proper immigration formalities?
The Chikwawa Central Constituency legislator called for a speedy review of current legal framework “to be in tandem with contemporary ways of managing migration effectively”.
“We are committed to supporting the adoption of proposed legislation [Immigration Act and Citizenship Act] to address aspirations of all Malawians regarding effective and efficient migration management in our country,” Bagus added.
But security analyst Sherif Kaisi raised concerns about the border security situation, warning that it poses significant security and health risks to the country.
“Illegal immigrants can introduce new illnesses that may trigger a health crisis. This is why migrants are required to use official entry points, where health workers and immigration officials are present to certify entry,” he stated in response to a questionnaire.
In 2021, the Special Law Commission on the Review of the Immigration Act presented its tentative findings and recommendations in a report to the Ministry of Justice.
Chaired by Chief Justice Rezine Mzikamanda, the review commission established that the current Immigration Act has many defects.; such as being silent on key areas of immigration services
