Malawi practises a strict encampment policy. In 2021, the government announced that all out-of-camp refugees have to return to the Dzaleka camp, citing threats to national security and economic competition between refugees and locals. Malawi’s policy towards refugees’ access to work is highly restrictive. There is no pathway to formal employment in the private sector outside the camp, even for highly skilled refugees. Inside the camp, refugees are permitted to run small-scale businesses, but they operate largely in the informal sector with limited access to financial services and markets.
