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A Painful Auction

On 11 March 2026, dozens gathered at the National Police Headquarters in Lilongwe to witness refugee livelihoods auctioned to the highest bidders. Prior to this, many affected refugee owners had, through our legal team, sought to reclaim their shipping containers outside the courts.

Yet the Police stated that 72 containers, along with their contents, including tarpaulins, sacks, weighing scales, and other goods were “unclaimed.” Under this false assertion, they presented the auction as a routine disposal exercise.

For the affected refugees, the scene was devastating; they watched as the property they had worked years to acquire was sold for the financial benefit of the government. These containers served as warehouses for goods to trade—essential tools of survival that helped sustain their families.

“I had hoped that repossessing [or recovering] our nine containers would help us rebuild the life we once had,” said one owner, Athanase Mvuyekure, a father of three. “Now it seems we will continue choking on smoke as we bake scones and fry fat cakes on open fire just to feed our families.” You can read more about the container auction in an article published in The Nation Newspaper here.

Despite this stinging set back for refugee rights in Malawi, we continue to explore all available legal avenues to secure a more equitable and just outcome, including compensation for refugees whose shipping containers were auctioned. You can partner with us to support our legal efforts through donations.