Campaigners urge Malawi to pass a law letting refugees work and trade
The Refugee Bill would let refugees take paid jobs and run small businesses, cutting their reliance on aid, says INUA Advocacy.
Taiwo Banjoko
PANM — A refugee rights group in Malawi has urged the government to bring its new Refugee Bill to Parliament without delay, Nyasa Times reports.
INUA Advocacy's chief executive, Innocent Magambi, called on the Ministries of Homeland Security and Justice to speed up the process, saying the bill would remove many legal restrictions refugees have faced for years.
What the bill would do
- Allow refugees to take paid work and to trade, reducing their reliance on humanitarian aid.
- Allow them to run small and medium-sized businesses freely in designated areas; larger businesses would follow the rules for other foreign nationals.
- Give them equal access to education.
Mr Magambi said the bill offers a path to a legal framework that respects human dignity.
Source: Nyasa Times via AllAfrica, reporting by Fazila Tembo, 15 October 2026.
