Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) advancing the rights of refugees and asylum seekers have challenged the Ministry of Homeland Security to urgently produce a report on proceeds from sale of confiscated goods and properties from the refugees.
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Led by Charles Kajoloweka of the Youth and Society (YAS) at a press briefing that took place in LIllongwe on Monday, the concerned CSOs warned that failure by the government to provide a comprehensive report on how it handled the containers belonging to refugees would smack of high level hypocrisy by officials at the Capital Hill.
The other organizations appending their signatures to the statement, read at the presser included CHREAA, INUA Advocacy, Civil Society Coalition on Migration (CCM), Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC), Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR), Church and Society – Livingstonia Synod of the CCAP, Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiative (CDEDI), Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC), National Advocacy Platform (NAP), Citizen Alliance (CA) and Ukhondo Services Foundation (USEF).
The press conference was held in commemoration of the one-year anniversary of the “Brutal Refugee Relocation Exercise”.
Kajoloweka demanded that the Ministry of Homeland Security should urgently release the report on the forced opening of the confiscated containers and sales of goods belonging to refugee businesses.
“We are disturbed with the government’s failure to make public the report on the confiscation and forced opening of containers belonging to refugees. This opacity not only violates the principles of transparency and accountability but also denies the victims the opportunity for restitution and justice,” he said.
In his contribution, Advocacy and Liaison Officer for Innua Advocacy, Matchona Phiri, lamented government’s failure to prosecute perpetrators of crimes carried out against refugees and asylum seekers, stressing that this further compounds the injustice the refugee community suffered.
Phiri cited the suspects involved in the Salima robbery who are yet to face prosecution, a thing he said is reflecting a troubling pattern of impunity.
“This lack of accountability undermines the rule of law and perpetuates a climate of fear and insecurity among the refugee community,” he said.
Commenting on the welfare of the relocated refugees and asylum seekers, CHRR official Apatsa Mangwana said the forced relocations have exacerbated an already dire humanitarian crisis at Dzaleka Refugee Camp.
Mangwana stated that the camp is now overwhelmed with over 53, 000 residents, leading to severe shortages of water, food, shelter, and sanitation.
“This congestion has created an untenable situation, with refugees living in deplorable conditions that threaten their health and dignity. We specially recall the voice of Valentin Tapsoba, Director of UNHCR’s Regional Bureau for Southern Africa who made a clarion call to the authorities to “rescind relocation decision as the existing structures in Dzaleka Refugee Camp are already stretched to the limit and cannot accommodate more refugees in a dignified manner”, “This will result in immense human suffering and create a new dependency on humanitarian assistance,” she said.
The Minister of Homeland Security Ken Zikhale Ng’oma was yet to comment on the matter.
