Envoy tells Mutharika to tame illegal immigrants to South Africa:  Malawi to sign MOU with SA on  migration, economic development

South African envoy has told President Peter Mutharika to control Malawians flooding her country but without proper immigration documentation.

The new South African High Commissioner to Malawi Tenjiwe Mthitsyo said this on Thursday when she presented her letters of credence to the president.

She said the mass exodus of Malawians fleeing economic problems back home, is causing severe congestion in South Africa’s prisons as the immigrants are routinely swept away by police for lacking proper documentations.

“We are concerned with the increased number of Malawians breaking immigration laws. Freedom of movement should be within the laws,” she said.

She said there was need to sensitize Malawians that people cannot just go to South Africa without proper immigration documentation.

Currently there are over 3000 Malawians in South Africa’s Lindera holding camp and the government of Malawi says it has no money to bring them back.

“In our discussions with President Mutharika we have agreed on the need for an Agreement on migration to solve the challenges our people face when they travel,” said the new South African High Commissioner.

She continued: “Much as there is freedom of movement, people have to travel within the law and Malawians should be discouraged from traveling not only to South Africa but to any country when they do not have proper documents.”

Mutharika is said to have agreed with the envoy, saying Malawians should not just wake up on a day and decide to go to South Africa without proper documents.

Most. Of the Malawians go to South Africa using unchartered roads, unorthodox means of transport and without travel documents. There are about 100000 Malawians living and working in South Africa.

The South African envoy said she had also discussed with President Mutharika the need for the two countries to have a Memorandum of Understanding on infrastructural development, besides the Agreements on economic development and trade.