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<p>This study examines the use of greetings as a mechanism for screening irregular immigrants at road checkpoints in Malawi, integrating legal, sociolinguistic, and communication perspectives. While greetings are culturally embedded as routine social practices, immigration officers employ them as informal screening tools to assess travellers’ nationality based on accent and linguistic competence. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study combines a quantitative survey of 501 travellers with qualitative data from focus group discussions and key informant interviews with enforcement officers, as well as a doctrinal review of relevant legal frameworks. Qualitative findings through the legal analysis show that while statutory instruments acknowledge language in formal processes such as naturalisation and classification of prohibited immigrants, they do not explicitly sanction its use in roadside identification, raising concerns about legality, procedural fairness, and potential discrimination. Data from immigration officers further indicate that officers rely heavily on experiential knowledge, ad hoc probing techniques, and discretionary practices in the absence of formal training and standardised procedures. Quantitative findings reveal a paradoxical public response: although travellers generally hold positive attitudes toward the greeting and do not perceive it as disruptive to their travel experience, they simultaneously consider it inappropriate and ineffective as a security measure. Drawing on sociolinguistic theory and social identity frameworks, the study argues that language is an unreliable and problematic proxy for national identity in multilingual contexts. The findings highlight the need for clearer policy guidance, institutional capacity building, and a shift toward evidence-based and rights-compliant approaches to immigration law enforcement.</p>

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Muli bwanji? Immigration officers’ use of a greeting as a strategy for flagging out irregular immigrants on the roads in Malawi

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月25日

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  • Wellman Kondowe,
  • Theodora Thindwa,
  • Flemmings Fishani Ngwira

摘要

This study examines the use of greetings as a mechanism for screening irregular immigrants at road checkpoints in Malawi, integrating legal, sociolinguistic, and communication perspectives. While greetings are culturally embedded as routine social practices, immigration officers employ them as informal screening tools to assess travellers’ nationality based on accent and linguistic competence. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study combines a quantitative survey of 501 travellers with qualitative data from focus group discussions and key informant interviews with enforcement officers, as well as a doctrinal review of relevant legal frameworks. Qualitative findings through the legal analysis show that while statutory instruments acknowledge language in formal processes such as naturalisation and classification of prohibited immigrants, they do not explicitly sanction its use in roadside identification, raising concerns about legality, procedural fairness, and potential discrimination. Data from immigration officers further indicate that officers rely heavily on experiential knowledge, ad hoc probing techniques, and discretionary practices in the absence of formal training and standardised procedures. Quantitative findings reveal a paradoxical public response: although travellers generally hold positive attitudes toward the greeting and do not perceive it as disruptive to their travel experience, they simultaneously consider it inappropriate and ineffective as a security measure. Drawing on sociolinguistic theory and social identity frameworks, the study argues that language is an unreliable and problematic proxy for national identity in multilingual contexts. The findings highlight the need for clearer policy guidance, institutional capacity building, and a shift toward evidence-based and rights-compliant approaches to immigration law enforcement.