By Vincent Gunde
Security journalist Ephraim Mkali Banda, has commended the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Affairs for intensive screening of those applying for letters of asylum seekers for entry into Malawi to live together with refugees from Rwanda, DRC, and Burundi at the Dzaleka Camp in Dowa district.
Recently, there have been reports in the media that people from Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are taking long at Songwe River border post to be given letters of living as asylum seekers in Malawi, a development which is infringing their rights.
The rights organizations faulted the Department of Immigration wrong claiming that most of the people from the DRC do not have the necessary resources to support themselves and with the Immigration Department’s taking time to give them letters of asylum seekers in Malawi, is a very big blow.
The Human Rights organizations pleaded with the Government of Malawi to urgently look at the concerns raised at the Songwe River border post so that these people are cleared and continue their journey to Dzaleka Camp in Dowa district.
Giving his reaction, Security Journalist Mkali Banda said Malawi besides signing different treaties or protocols one being that of asylum seekers, it has got its own laws governing the country and cannot be forced to do things outside its laws.
Mkali Banda said the Department of Immigration is doing the right thing at the right time saying there’s a great need for the Department officials to thoroughly investigate and screen these people before they are given letters as asylum seekers.
He has claimed that some of these people applying for asylum seekers are soldiers, police officers and intelligence officers in their countries of origin and allowing these to enter Malawi without properly being screened, they will undermine the security of the country.
“Malawi is facing an increasing spate of armed robberies and various forms of crime, some of the people contributing to this, are these coming from other countries,” said Mkali Banda.
He has advised human rights bodies in Malawi not to take advantage of their donors who give them money for advocacy on the rights of people including those of refugees and asylum seekers not to always finger-pointing government-wrong, but to look at the country’s security first.
