Malawi's government has not responded to the claims of abuses.

But Human Rights Watch (HRW) is calling on the government to reverse its actions, and bring back the 902 people who it says were last month rounded up and taken to Dzalek refugee camp 40km (25 miles) from the capital, Lilongwe.

During that process, HRW alleges that many people had their businesses forcibly closed and were held in prisons before being taken away. The rights body also says there are reports of child refugees being held in jail and other refugees suffering beatings and having their property stolen.

"Not only are the authorities committing abuses during arrests and detaining children, summarily removing them from their homes amounts to unlawful forced evictions," alleges HRW's senior Africa researcher Idriss Ali Nassah.