The Mzuzu Youth Caucus says it is high time Malawi started working towards safeguarding the interests of the citizenry.
The remarks follow government’s decision to relocate Dzaleka refugee camp to Chitipa following space challenges at the camp.
It also comes amid growing concerns from the public against the move with the most recent being a case in which two members of parliament from Chitipa have asked government to halt the move until proper consultations are done.
Speaking to MIJ Online, Gomegzani Nkhoma chairperson of the Mzuzu Youth Caucus said much as Malawi is obliged to respect safeguard the rights of refugees, the same should not be done at the expense of needs of her citizenry.
“I wonder why as a country we always put interests of others above interests of our own people. Here we are pushing for the relocation of a camp to a district that has for a long time been denied development instead of first developing the district. Whose interests are we serving really, you can’t see such things happening in other countries” said Nkhoma.
While agreeing that congestion at Dzaleka is making the place not suitable for habitation, Nkhoma said government should prioritize the repatriation exercise so as to decongest the camp saying the cost of having a whole new camp in Chitipa is too huge for Malawi.
“We have people at the camp whose countries of origin are at peace and much better in terms of social services if you compare them with Malawi, why are such people clinging to stay in Malawi? What exactly is it that they are getting from Malawi? Let these people go and we will have space at Dzaleka” Nkhoma observed.
However, in a most recent response to the local media, Patrick Botha spokesperson of the ministry of Homeland security said government is proceeding with the relocation exercise as all concerns were addressed during consultative meetings that were conducted in the district.
Established by UNHCR in 1994, Dzaleka is the largest refugee camp in Malawi, hosting over 43,000 refugees and asylum seekers instead of the recommended 10,000 and it is home to people from Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burundi, Rwanda, Somalia, and Ethiopia.
