Hundreds of refugees, asylum-seekers arrested in Malawi

Authorities in Malawi have arrested more than 400 refugees and asylum-seekers, including 100 children, in the capital who had refused to return to a camp outside the city. The crackdown came about two months after the government issued an ultimatum for people to return to Dzaleka, an overcrowded camp north of the city.

Some 240 were taken from a prison where they were screened to the camp with military trucks and an UHCR bus. Patrick Botha, Spokesperson, Malawi Ministry of Homeland Security  said "This operation is specifically targeting refugees and asylum seekers and it’s also trying to flush out illegal immigrants.

So, those foreigners that are here with valid documentation, with the proper authorization, they should not have any cause for worry." Most refugees and asylum-seekers in Malawi come from the conflict-torn Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as Rwanda and Burundi.(