Malawi Orders Thousands of Refugees to Return to Overcrowded Dzaleka Camp

Malawi’s Dzaleka refugee camp, originally built to house between 10,000 and 14,000 refugees, now holds over 48,000 people from across east and southern Africa, exacerbating overcrowding in a facility designed for far fewer. Established 25 years ago, Dzaleka was a sanctuary for those fleeing wars and genocide in Burundi, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. However, with a continued influx of refugees, including recent arrivals from Mozambique, the camp’s conditions have worsened.

The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reports that hundreds of new refugees arrive each month, with 181 babies born at the camp in August alone. In light of mounting anti-refugee sentiment and increasing pressure from economic hardships, the Malawian government has decreed that around 2,000 refugees, many of whom had integrated into local communities, must return to Dzaleka. The government’s justification centers on national security concerns, sparking fears about the camp’s future and the growing challenges of providing for an expanding population.