SOMALI IMMIGRANTS BLAMED FOR CHAOS IN MARATANE REFUGE CENTRE

The National Refugee Support Institute (INAR) has blamed Somali asylum seekers for destabilizing the Maratane refugee centre, in the northern Mozambican province of Nampula.One of the complaints is that Somali refugees enter and leave the centre without fulfilling the formalities in place. Danilo Mangamela from INAR in Nampula told Radio Mozambique that there had been some degree of order when the centre was only accommodating asylum seekers from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi and Rwanda.
However, with the current influx of Somali refugees the situation has changed considerably, giving way to chaos.He complained that there are people involved in illegally receiving and transporting these immigrants to unknown destinations.Mangamela also blamed Somali refugees in Maratane for breaking the rules established by international treaties for refugees. Questioned about the number of Somali immigrants entering the centre, Mangamela said that it is difficult to estimate the number of refugees as they come and leave in large numbers. According to the authorities over 6,000 Somalis and Ethiopians left the camp in 2010.Somali and Ethiopian refugees frequently enter northern Mozambique, and most are believed to be on their way to South Africa. In the last few weeks the police have detained hundreds of these migrants, but have not halted the flow.On 4 February there were 510 Somali asylum seekers in the Maratane centre.