The Second Grade Magistrate Court in Zomba has sentenced a 44-year-old Burundian national, Neza Eric, to six months in prison for unlawfully leaving Dzaleka Refugee Camp and operating a grocery business in Chikanda Township, Zomba, without authorization.
In its ruling, the court also ordered that Eric be returned to Dzaleka Refugee Camp after serving his sentence.
Delivering judgment, Second Grade Magistrate Steve Jacob Nambiri said asylum seekers are legally required to reside at Dzaleka Refugee Camp and that leaving the camp without permission contravenes the law.
The magistrate noted that although the convict was a first-time offender, a custodial sentence was necessary to deter similar offences by other asylum seekers.
Reacting to the ruling, Eastern Region Immigration Prosecutor Sub Inspector Levison Panje welcomed the judgment, saying it reinforces the legal requirement for asylum seekers to remain at the designated refugee camp.
Eric, who hails from the Kanyosha area of Burundi, will be transferred back to Dzaleka upon completion of his six-month prison term.
