The Central Region Office of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services has disclosed that it will next week embark on repatriation exercise targeting irregular migrants who have completed their custodial sentences in Malawi prisons.
The exercise is likely going to decongest the prisons, which are currently operating beyond their holding capacities.
The department's public relations officer responsible for the Centre, Inspector Pasqually Zulu, told Nyasa Times on Wednesday afternoon that the initiative is in response to concerns and reports of overcrowding in prisons, which include irregular migrants from Horn of Africa and Great Lakes Region.
"Central Regional Immigration Office have been engaged on several times to intervene on the situation at Maula Prison Facility which currently have 3000 plus inmates. Hosting and repatriating of such huge numbers of irregular migrants in our prisons drains alot resources which could have assisted in national development of the country," said Zulu.
He added, "As such, nationalism and patriotism has been a key message to all Malawians to stop Aiding and Abbeting of illegal immigrants because it also pose a threat to nationality security."
Zulu stated that despite having inadequate resources to undertake the challenge head on, the management opted for inter-state consultations mechanism on migration and also engagement of international partners.
He said the the first cohort comprising 114 Ethiopians national is scheduled to be repatriated out of Malawi through Kamuzu International Airport on Tuesday May 31st 2022 fully sponsored by International Organisation for Migration (I.O.M).
"As of Wednesday May 25th, Maula Prison and Kachere young Offenders prison statistics of irregular migrants under Immigration custody is close to 300 who have violating Immigration laws and the figures include both serving and on remand. In this regard, Immigration department is warning all perpetrators involved in this syndicate of aiding and abetting in a strongest possible terms that once caught in the malpractice, the long arm of the law will take its course," explained Zulu.
