A human rights organization on good governance, the Millennium Information and Resource Centre [Mirece], says refugees and asylum seekers coming to Malawi were blessings in disguise because Malawians have learnt business skills from them.
The Mirece said relocation of refugees and asylum seekers to Dzaleka Camp in Dowa should give time to Malawians to plan for the future that with the knowledge and skills gain in running businesses, many Malawians will occupy the shops left by them in trading centres, district, towns and cities.
He said this is the time for Malawians to work hard to fill the gap left by refugees and asylum seekers in business management claiming that most of them came to Malawi with no money but hard work, made some of them to be employers of Malawians in their shops and business premises.
Its Director Reverend Flywell Somanje has thanked the High Court of Malawi Blantyre Registry for dismissing an application for judicial review filed by refugees and asylum seekers claiming to be Malawian nationals for wanting to stop the Ministry of Homeland Security from relocating them to Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Dowa district.
Reverend Somanje said this is what is expected of Malawi courts not to allow foreigners suing government that is hosting them claiming that it is only in Malawi where foreigners have been going to court to obtain injunctions against the Government which is hosting them from relocating them to their designated camp.
He said had it been that the past governments listened to the voice of reasons to force refugees and asylum seekers whose countries of origins are at peace to go back home, they could not have spent 29 years living safely with Malawians.
The Reverend said it was a mistake by the past governments to allow Dzaleka Prison been turn into a Refugee Camp a stone throw away from Kamuzu International Airport [KIA] and the main Capital City of Malawi-Lilongwe.
…..’’We have learnt a great lesson that negligence pays, refugees and asylum seekers will be accommodated on the borders and when the war has ended, they just cross the borders to their counties of origins,’’….said Reverend Somanje.
But, Reverend Somanje has expressed his concern over some refugees and asylum seekers who are building shops at Dzaleka market wondering who have instructed them to do these jobs at a time that a new site for a Refugee Camp was identified at Kameme in Chitipa district.
He said with the permanent shops which are being built at Dzaleka Camp, the Government of Malawi will face a tough challenge to relocate them from Dzaleka in Dowa to Kameme in Chitipa considering of expenses which are being lost for the infrastructures.
Meanwhile, Reverend Somanje said he had observed that some Malawians have taken advantage over relocation of refugees and asylum seekers to Dzaleka Camp by overcharging prices of essential goods, appealing to them to exercise justice on the businesses they are doing.
