In May 2023, during government enforcement measures requiring refugees to relocate to designated camps, authorities in Malawi confiscated shipping containers and goods belonging to refugees and asylum seekers who operated small businesses in urban areas. Many of these containers served as storage or warehouses for merchandise that represented the owners’ primary source of livelihood. At the time, fear of arrests, detention, beatings, and deportations prevented many refugees from coming forward to claim their property.
Since November 2025, the local NGO Inua Advocacy, along with other activists, engaged authorities to seek clarification on the return of these confiscated goods. In February 2026, refugees learned through media reports that the containers and their contents were scheduled for auction after being deemed “unclaimed.” In response, 39 refugees submitted claims for a total of 79 containers, asserting ownership and seeking to prevent their sale.
In February 2026, Inua Advocacy and other stakeholders met with the Principal Secretary, police, and the Department of Refugees. While police confirmed the existence of a court order authorizing the auction, copies of the documents were not initially provided. The Principal Secretary agreed to review claims submitted by Inua to potentially remove containers from the auction list. Some authorities suggested that certain containers involved licensing irregularities, though Inua’s counsel emphasized that the original confiscation was based on suspicions of serious criminal content rather than licensing issues. Despite repeated requests, authorities have not confirmed whether the submitted claims have been reviewed, and access to court documents relating to the auction has been denied.
Malawi is bound by international human rights law, including the 1951 Refugee Convention, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. These instruments recognize the right to work, the protection of property rights, access to justice, and fair treatment of refugees lawfully present in the country, obligating Malawi to safeguard the ownership and livelihoods of refugees.
