Government has disclosed that there are a “lot more opportunities” for Malawians to work outside the country apart from the recent highly scrutinised Israel recruitment deal.
Minister of Information Moses Kunkuyu said in an interview Thursday that government intends to send 5,000 Malawians to Israel alone with more destined for other countries.
“There are opportunities for figures of more than 5,000 in Israel and more than 15,000 in other countries.
“We have received overwhelming response and expression of interest from Malawians who want to be considered for these opportunities,” Kunkuyu said.
We made a follow-up to the minister in the context of a BBC interview in which he is on record as having said labour export is not a new phenomenon in Malawi.
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“This has been happening in Malawi for decades and we have been exporting young people to countries in Africa and outside Africa,” Kunkuyu said in the BBC interview.
There has been a backlash from some quarters on government’s apparent secrecy on the labour export programme.
Others have, however, praised government for finding “jobs” for unemployed young people “languishing in poverty”.
Kunkuyu said the labour export arrangement is an economic empowerment initiative to young people as well as the country in general as “their families will be more self-reliant”.
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“The remittances from the diaspora are a great source of forex for many countries that have engaged in formalised labour export deals and Malawi will join those countries,” he said.
The minister also dismissed accusations that the programme is targeting young people linked to governing Malawi Congress Party.
He also defended the “impromptu” labour exportation deal, saying the re-alignment of the Kwacha, coupled with other global economic forces, have necessitated the speedy implementation.
Stakeholders such as the Human Rights Defenders Coalition questioned government’s motive for being secretive on the matter earlier.
The first group of 221 Malawians left the country last week to work in farms in Israel.
