Government’s plans to relocate a refugee camp from Dzaleka in Dowa to Katili in Karonga are at an advanced stage despite reservations from various quarters from across the country.
Commissioner of refugees, who is also Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security, Sam Madula, said in an interview yesterday that the government is set to raise K250 million to complement project funds from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Madula, who did not disclose the actual cost of the contentious project, however, expressed optimism that the money would be included in the 2017/2018 budget.
“Government money will be used for construction of access roads to the camp and other ancillary facilities, while the UNHCR, who are the main financiers, will take care of the bigger part,” he said.
The commissioner said the ministry has lined up a number of liaison meetings in the district, in order to raise awareness about the newly adopted settlement policy.
The policy, which touches on issues of integration between locals and the asylum seekers, has raised fears among some quarters in the district.
They argue that the move endangers their traditions and cultural beliefs apart from posing security risks and robbing them of their land.
“We will continue to talk with them especially those who are against the project, because we are adopting a new model where a refugee camp is no longer about asylum seekers only, but also the local communities,” he said.
Madula said the UNHCR has pledged to put up a modern clinic, a school, standard shelters among other social amenities around the camp which will also be accessible to the locals.
But critics of the project, including Member of Parliament for Karonga Central Constituency, Frank Mwenifumbo, have accused the government and some chiefs of lying about the alleged benefits of the project.
They maintain that the project is being imposed on people since there were no prior consultations.
Leave a Reply