The Malawi National Assembly has come in to fully support government’s action in enforcing the law regulating the conduct of refugees in the country.

This is contained in a press statement from the Parliamentary Committees of Defence and Security, Trade and Industry and International relations and further endorsed by Joyce Chitsulo who is the Chairperson of the Committee of Chairpersons.

It says as a member of the United Nations which has domesticated some UN Conventions on refugees, the Malawi Government is acting within the law governing refugees in Malawi hence approve action taken by the Ministry of Homeland Security.

“We have noted that the action by government follows the behavior of some refugees whose conduct in living and doing business outside designated refugee camps without any permit is inconsistent with the law that regulates refugees and asylum seekers in this country.

“We are also aware that government’s action is also based on a culmination of various notices and court processes during which the said refugees were requested to return to designated refugee camps, however, such requests and orders were not adhered to.

“What some of the refugees were doing by freely wondering around and in certain cases operating businesses without permits, was a recipe for chaos and rendered our laws on refugees almost useless,” reads the statement.

The Parliamentary Committees further stressed they do not want to see lawlessness prevailing in the manner in which the refugees behave in Malawi and strongly encourage the Homeland Ministry to ensure that the process continues within the law and observance of human rights by the law-enforcers.

There is an ongoing refugee relocation exercise to Dzaleka Camp jointly carried out by the Malawi Police Service, Malawi Defence Force (MDF) and the Department of Immigration and citizenship services.