At least 40 Rwandan refugees, who have been residing in Malawi and expressed interest to return home, will be repatriated Wednesday this week.

Minister of Homeland Security, Ken Zikhale Ng’oma disclosed this in Lilongwe where he held talks with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNHCR Director, Regional Bureau for Southern Africa, Valentin Tapsoba.

Ng’oma said UNHCR delegation came in to appreciate issues surrounding the relocation of refugees to Dzaleka Camp.

He said they want to flush out illegal migrants who are engaged in economic activities.

“We have explained to them the difference between a refugee and migrants who came in illegally and are engaged in economic activities.”

Zikhale Ng’oma said there are 51,000 refugees that government needs to protect, adding that the rest are in Malawi on their own.

“We want to head count and establish real refugees and illegal migrants” “They have understood our point in terms of rule of law and we have maintained our position to look after refugees according to the Geneva Convention and that Dzaleka remains the location where all refugees should reside,” said Ng’oma.

In his remarks Tapsoba said UNHCR will not only support the relocation but also the repatriation of refugees willing to return to their countries of origin.

Meanwhile, the Rwandan government has awarded Ng’oma for his efforts towards the repatriation of warlords needed by Kigali.

Malawi government apprehended five warlords connected to the genocide in Rwanda and one of them, Théoneste Niyongira, has already been handed over to the Rwandan government.-MBC Online

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