Malawi to deport over 400 illegal migrants -Muluzi

Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security Atupele Muluzi has vowed that illegal immigrants will be kicked out of Malawi after reports emerged that over 400 illegal lags are detained at various prisons in the country.

Muluzi said government has issued removal directions for some of the illegal immigrants.

“There are presently approximately 300 illegal migrants being held at Maula Prison from the Great Lakes region that have to be repatriated. This is part of our international obligations, but we are facing resource constraints,” Muluzi said as quoted in Weekend Nation newspaper of Saturday August1, 2015.

More illegal immigrants will be deported from Malawi, Muluzi said.

Malawi faced a swarm of people coming from war-torn countries DR Congo, Somalia and Sudan en route to economic giant South Africa for greener pastures.

There are no detention camps or removal centres for immigrants in Malawi. The country is holding illegal immigrants in already overcrowded prisons and treating them as convicts.

The country’s jails has approximately 13 000 inmates against a recommended holding capacity of around 7 000 prisoners, acceding to Home Affairs Minister.

“Malawi is fast becoming a transit route for illegal migration,” the paper quotes Muluzi.

He said Malawi need to “invest more in terms of financing and commitment towards border control management.”

Muluzi pointed out that issues of migration are “ as complex as are the reasons why people move.”

He disclosed that government is in the process of constructing new border posts at Chisenga, Chimaliro, Mbalachanda, Mkanda and Mwase.

Meanwhile, Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) has since expressed concern about the abusive detention of immigrants in the country’s prisons and warned the country risks breaking international laws.

According to Weekend Nation, MHRC executive secretary, Grace Malera, said it is shameful for people who have committed no crime to be detained in harsh prison conditions for prolonged months.

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