Israel deports migrants from Malawi who stopped working on farms

Authorities in Malawi announced on Tuesday that twelve laborers who had been dispatched to work on fields and orchards that had been abandoned due to the Gaza conflict had been deported by Israel.

According to a statement from Moses Kunkuyu, the government spokesman for Malawi, the workers “in breach of their contracts… abandoned their lawful employment at the farms to start working at the bakery.”

As part of a government labor export initiative, hundreds of Malawians have been traveling to Israel since November in an attempt to create jobs for young people and generate much-needed foreign exchange.

As a result of the severe economic crisis that has forced the state to drastically reduce government spending, a large number of Malawians are still jobless.

Since the Hamas attacks on October 7, which set off the Gaza War, thousands of laborers have left Israel’s farms, a vital sector of the country’s economy.

About 240 people, according to Israel, were taken hostage during the raids, including dozens of foreign laborers.

The remaining laborers, many of them young men and women, were forewarned by Malawian officials that a violation of the contract would “not be tolerated.”

The laborers were exhorted by Kunkuyu to “desist from such behavior as it puts this country into disrepute.”

Four of the twelve workers arrived in Malawi on Tuesday after being processed, and the remaining eight would come on Wednesday, according to the authorities.

The opposition in Malawi and rights groups have criticized the labor agreement.

Kondwani Nankhumwa, the leader of the nation’s opposition, referred to the war, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives, as “an evil transaction” in November.

Young people in Malawi continue to show enthusiasm in taking advantage of the prospects provided by the agreement with Israel, notwithstanding opposition criticism and cautions.

Mother Esther Dzama, who resides in Lilongwe, Malawi, told VOA that her son is open to working on Israeli fields.

“We expect that our son will assist in improving the agriculture sector in our area or country at large,” Dzama said. She added that “he is working in a farm that grows avocado pears.”

“The two governments will ensure the labor export to Israel operates within the prevailing regulatory frameworks,” according to Malawian authorities.

The country’s foreign minister, Nancy Tembo, stated that the opening of the embassy two weeks ago reinforced the government’s commitment to “long-standing” diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Tembo stated that the labor agreement would initially supply 3,000 people.