The Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services has adopted a marine curriculum which aims to strengthen lake border security against irregular migration, human trafficking, smuggling and other crimes.
The curriculum includes modules on maritime laws, search and rescue skills, boat handling and maintenance among others.
Speaking during a validation meeting in Nkhata Bay District, the department’s commissioner responsible for administration, Vivian Kasambo, said while Lake Malawi is vast, the adoption of the curriculum is a major step towards curbing irregular migration.
The curriculum has been developed under a border management project funded by the Government of Japan through the Japanese Supplementary Budget (JSB) under the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (Ticad).
diary
Kasambo said the development of the curriculum will support the successful implementation of the Marine Unit, which the department established but has been inactive.
- Advertisement -
“It will be a diary for our immigration officers and the entire department to know which areas to improve and how to do it,” he said.
Another key deliverable of the project was Immigration Patrol Vessel 001 (IPV), which was handed over to the Department of Immigration in August 2025 to strengthen marine border security.
The project is receiving technical support from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
IOM Chief of Mission to Malawi Namagugu Ncube said the curriculum will equip the department and its officers with the requisite skills to operate within the maritime space, as they were previously confined to ports of entry on land and airports.
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
“Our expectation is that first and foremost the presence of immigration officers within the maritime space will enhance safe and orderly migration.
“This is because sometimes people move irregularly not because they want to but because the means to move regularly is not available,” Ncube said.
She added that since the lake is used by human traffickers and smugglers who put people’s lives at risk. Having the Department of Immigration visible on the lake will deter the criminal enterprise.
Japanese Ambassador to Malawi Yoichi Oya said the project aims to enhance border security management to address irregular and illegal migration through Lake Malawi, which is in line with Japan’s human security concept.
“We are offering Japanese technology and expertise for this project. We will keep supporting Malawi in many sectors and will work with Malawi to co-create impactful solutions against the country’s challenges,” Oya said.
The envoy added that peace, stability and unity are on the agenda of Ticad and are also the foundations of the country’s development.
He said the support is in the interest of Japan and Malawi relations, which are based on a win-win situation.
The Japanese government has invested about $500,000 into the project.
