The Malawi government says it needs more than K1 billion (about R9.5 million) to repatriate over 3 000 citizens stranded in South Africa.
Campaigns against illegal immigrants continue to drive foreign nationals from their homes, jobs and businesses.
Chief Secretary to the Government Justin Saidi revealed the figure on Tuesday during a welcome ceremony for 150 Malawians who recently returned home.
The group arrived in Malawi on Monday after leaving South Africa over the weekend.
Malawi government ramps up repatriation efforts
Saidi said the government has already dispatched buses to South Africa and plans to continue sending more vehicles until every Malawian who wants to return is safely brought home.
The repatriation programme comes amid growing concerns over the safety of Malawian nationals living in South Africa, where reports of xenophobic attacks have prompted many migrants to seek assistance from their government.
As reported by Malawi24, authorities are committed to ensuring that no citizen is left behind despite the significant financial cost of the operation.
Malawi returnees to receive economic support
Beyond transporting citizens home, the government is also preparing support measures to help returnees rebuild their lives.
Saidi said repatriated Malawians will have access to government-backed loan programmes currently being rolled out across Malawi’s 229 constituencies.
The initiative aims to help returnees start businesses and generate income after returning home.
The government hopes the support will enable affected citizens to become financially independent and reduce the economic hardships often associated with forced migration.
First group arrives home
The first batch of 150 Malawians arrived in the country on Monday and underwent health screening at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre on Tuesday before being transported to their respective districts.
Officials expect more returnees to arrive in the coming weeks as the repatriation exercise gathers momentum.
With more than 3 000 Malawians still seeking assistance, the government faces the challenge of raising the funds needed to complete one of its largest citizen repatriation efforts in recent years.
