Refugees and asylum seekers have obtained two separate court injuctions against government’s decision to force them to relocate to Dzaleka refugee camp.
Avantmalawi can confirm that two injuctions have been obtained, one from Blantyre high court and another one from Lilongwe high court.
Ministry of Homeland Security gave a 14 days ultimatum to the refugees to vacate locations and that they should relocate to Dzaleka refugee camp.
The ultimatum expires tomorrow (Wednesday) and the ministry had warned that it will use necessary force to those that will not comply with the decision.
But the injuctions which we have seen, are meant to pave way for a judicial review of government’s decision.
Commenting on the development, Minister of Homeland security Richard Chimwendo Banda has said that government will respect the decision and that it has suspended the relocation exercise.
This means that the refugees and asylum seekers will continue operating business as usual in the country’s locations.
Meanwhile, Homeland Security Ministry says it is banking on the Attorney General’s direction for their next action on the relocation of refugees and asylum seekers to Dzaleka Camp in Dowa.
This follows an injunction the refugees have obtained restraining their relocation pending judicial review of the matter.
The Ministry’s spokesperson Andrew Nyondo says they are yet to receive the injunction.