Malawi moves to deport Ethiopian refugee who held right of abode for 15 years
Malawian authorities have sparked outrage after detaining and moving to deport an Ethiopian citizen who was granted official refugee status and the right of abode in the country more than a decade ago.
Bashaw Adinaw was picked up by immigration officers and issued with removal directions despite his fully recognised legal standing, Nyasa Times has reported. On Wednesday, Adinaw was taken to Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe to be processed for repatriation, with sources confirming he was being denied access to legal representation.
When approached for comment, both the Malawian National Police and the Department of Immigration refused to provide details on the grounds for Adinaw’s removal, instead passing responsibility between departments.
Documents seen by Nyasa Times confirm that Adinaw’s application for refugee status was formally approved in December 2011.
A letter signed by the then Secretary for Home Affairs, Simon Madula, stated: “In exercise of powers conferred upon it by the Refugees Act… the Refugees Committee received and considered your application for refugee status in Malawi. I am pleased to inform you that the committee has granted you refugee status in Malawi.”
The deportation attempt highlights a growing tension over refugee rights in the southern African nation, where human rights advocates have long called for fundamental legislative reforms.
Innocent Magambi, chief executive of the advocacy group Inua Advocacy, recently stressed that updating the country’s legal framework was vital for “creating pathways towards integration, and ultimately citizenship.”
Malawi’s 1989 Refugees Act is currently undergoing a comprehensive review by a Special Law Commission, amid widespread criticism that the existing legislation prioritises state control over human rights.
Speaking at a recent validation workshop in Lilongwe, the commission’s chairperson, High Court Judge Redson Kapindu, warned that the current law severely restricts the basic freedoms of displaced people.
“The existing law places greater emphasis on controlling refugees and asylum seekers rather than safeguarding their rights,” Kapindu said, advocating for a framework that balances national security with human rights.
“The current Act does not adequately recognise refugees’ rights, which is why, among other things, refugees are not allowed to integrate into host communities.”
Kapindu also drew attention to severe procedural deficits within the present system, notably Section 11 of the Act, which restricts appeals solely to the cabinet minister—whose ruling is currently final and entirely shielded from judicial review.
Malawi’s Minister of Homeland Security, Peter Mukhito, acknowledged the statutory shortcomings, noting that comprehensive reform has become urgent.
The legal overhaul comes at a perilous moment for the country’s humanitarian sector, as international donor support—particularly from the United States—scales down, squeezing operations for the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) and local authorities alike.
