Member of Parliament (MP) for Chitipa East Kezzie Msukwa has proposed that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Department of Refugees should move towards constructing decent houses to enable Malawi host refugees and asylum seekers with dignity.
Msukwa argued that the current dwelling structures at Dzaleka Refugee Camp violate the fundamental human rights for refugees and asylum seekers as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
He made the sentiments in Lilongwe on Tuesday during a briefing for traditional leaders and members of Chitipa District Council ahead of a visit to Dzaleka Dzaleka on Wednesday.
The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) organized the briefing with financial support from the Canadian Embassy through Umodzi (Peace Building and Advocacy) Project, which aims at providing a platform for dialogue to enhance social-cohesion and peace building.
Msukwa emphasized that just like any human being, refugees and asylum seekers are entitled to live in decent, safe housing, including those forced to flee their country of origin due to conflict, persecution or breaches of their human rights.
“I wonder why UNHCR and the Department of Refugees have allowed the refugees and asylum seekers to construct dwelling structures by themselves. The current dwelling structures don’t give the dignity they deserve as human beings,” said Msukwa.
“UNHCR and its partners must help this country to safeguard the refugees’ and asylum seekers’ right to safe housing by constructing good houses; houses that can preserve human dignity. UNHCR must take responsibility to ensure refugees and asylum seekers have access to decent, safe housing, while we provide them other social amenities such as health and education,” he added.
CCJP National Coordinator Boniface Chibwana concurred with Msukwa, stressing that humanity entails that ‘we should unto others as we would want them to do unto us’.
Chibwana added that it was along those lines that the Commission has been advocating for the decongestion of Dzaleka Refugee Camp to ensure the refugees and asylum seekers enjoy their dignity.
“There were some forces that they’re running away from their countries and it’s incumbent upon Malawians to help them. Humanity tells us that we have to do good to our neighbors. So, I think it’s in that respect that we have to make sure that we decongest the camp by relocating others to a new camp,” he said.
But Senior Administration Manager in the Ministry of Homeland Security, Hilda Kausiwa, said it is a deliberate policy to allow refugees and asylum seekers to build their dwelling structures so that they take ownership.
Kausiwa further stated that the building permanent or semi-permanent houses at a camp would encourage more refugees and asylum seekers to take Malawi as their preferred destination.
Traditional leaders and members of Chitipa District Council are set to visit Dzaleka Refugee Camp on Wednesday this week.
