The department of refugees in the ministry of Homeland Security has acknowledged encountering difficulties in managing the substantial backlog of asylum and refugee applicants within the country.
This acknowledgment comes as the nation grapples with a backlog of more than three thousand individuals awaiting eligibility interviews for asylum or refugee status.
In an interview with MIJ Online, Hilda Kausiwa Senior, Administrative and Operations Manager of the Refugee Department, said the prolonged processing times are often due to constraints in capacity and the determination required to assess applicants’ statuses.
Kausiwa further revealed that the Ministry of Homeland Security is in the process of revising the 1989 Refugee Act to address some of the emerging challenges.
Meanwhile Charles Kajoloweka, Executive Director of Youth and Society, has emphasized the importance for the country to reexamine the legislation governing refugees within its borders to ensure that the government fulfills its obligations in safeguarding human rights effectively.
At the meantime, Matchona Phiri, Advocacy and Liaison Officer for INUA Advocacy, an organization dedicated to upholding refugee rights, has reported that their organization has received more than thirty cases related to human rights violations during the refugees’ relocation process.
Phiri further mentioned that these cases have been forwarded to the Independent Complaints Commission of Police for thorough investigation, which includes two instances of sexual assault and extortion from refugees.