The Ministry of Homeland Security is facing a backlash from some asylum seekers in the country for alleged corruption.
The development comes in the wake of reports that some officers at the Ministry are entangled in a cobweb of corruption as they are being accused of demanding bribes from refugees as a condition to grant them refugee status in the country, Malawi 24 has learnt.
One of the displaced persons at the Dzaleka refugee camp in Dowa District, Divota Iradukunda disclosed Mangochi during a media training organized by the Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC).
Iradinduka alleged that, sometimes, officers at the Ministry demand as much as K12 Million from the refugees for them to grant the asylum seekers either refugee status or to relocate them from the overcrowded camp.
MHRC organized the media training to equip the media practitioners with relevant knowledge and skills to enable them to effectively report on issues affecting the rights of refugees.
Director of political and civil rights at the commission, Peter Chisi, stressed that issues of the human rights of refugees are of paramount importance, revealing that authorities are currently working on various legal instruments aimed at improving the livelihood of refugees in the country.
Meanwhile, Executive Director of the Media Council of Malawi, Moses Kaufa, underscored the importance of the training, adding that it will help in enhancing journalist’s skills in reporting issues affecting refugees.
