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Commemoration Statement on the One-Year Anniversary of the Brutal Refugee Relocation Exercise

On May 17th, we commemorated the one-year anniversary of a brutal refugee relocation exercise enforced by the Malawi Government. This operation forcibly moved 2,296 refugees and asylum seekers, including 765 families, to the overcrowded Dzaleka Camp, which now houses over 56,000 refugees despite a capacity for only 12,000. Documented human rights abuses during this relocation include violence, rape, arbitrary detention, and property destruction, leaving refugees in dire conditions. The lack of prosecution for these crimes and the government’s failure to release a report on the confiscation of refugees’ belongings further underscore the injustice and uncertainty surrounding these events. In response to this humanitarian crisis, the Civil Society Coalition on Migration (CCM), which Inua Advocacy is a member, urgently calls for an independent investigation into the conduct of authorities, prosecution of offenders, cessation of forced extraditions, and immediate humanitarian support for the refugees. We also advocate for legislative reforms to align Malawi’s Refugee Act with international standards and greater public awareness to foster empathy for refugees. Read more in this statement.