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Local Focus: Malaysia |
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Fairness Transparency Accountability |
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28 February 2005 DIGESTS OF RECENT REPORTS
As this website has reported, Malaysia hosts UNHCR's largest refugee status determination operation according to the most recent published statistics, receiving more than 14,000 individual refugee claims in 2003. The number of asylum-seekers seeking protection in Malaysia may be growing.
Recently, UNHCR and human rights organizations have expressed alarm at a planned mass crackdown on irregular migrants by Malaysian authorities. In 2003, Malaysian authorities arrested asylum-seekers outside UNHCR’s offices, and deported asylum-seekers from Aceh over UNHCR’s objections.
The following are summaries of recent reports from the field about refugee protection in Malaysia.*
UNHCR expresses concern at impending crackdown on migrants “[UNHCR] staff members have been put on alert to protect refugees and asylum seekers in the south-east Asian country. There are some 47,000 people of concern to UNHCR in Malaysia, including ethnic groups from Myanmar, people fleeing from Indonesia's Aceh province, and other nationalities.” Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees, 22 February 2005
After Tsunami, Malaysia plans a "softer" deportation of illegal migrants "Instead of a crackdown, irregular migrants would be persuaded to leave Malaysia. Originally it was planned that those who ignored the deadline would risk being whipped, fined and jailed before being deported. ... The Minister insisted that if they refuse to leave, they will be hunted down with the full force of the law. ... he said that enforcement will apply to all irregular migrants. But he did distinguish between asylum seekers and irregular migrants." Source: Jesuit Refugee Service, JRS Dispatches, 14 February 2005
UNHCR sets up mobile registration team "The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) will deploy a mobile team to register refugees living in the jungles around Malaysian cities ahead of the government announced crack down on irregular migrants." Source: Jesuit Refugee Service Indonesia, 7 December 2004
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch express fears about crackdown HRW: Mass Expulsion Puts Migrants at Risk (23 November 2004) "Refugees and victims of human trafficking may be caught up in the sweeps and deported instead of receiving protection." AI: Government must halt deportation of one million migrants (2 December 2004) "We are seriously afraid that the mass deportation will result in large scale human rights abuses, such as ill-treatment, prolonged detention, and lack of access to medical care."
Malaysia grants temporary stay to Rohingya refugees "UNHCR welcomes the recent decision of the Malaysian government to grant temporary stay permits to the Rohingya refugee population from Myanmar." Source: UNHCR/ReliefWeb (2 November 2004)
Malaysia deports asylum seekers to Aceh despite UNHCR appeal "Malaysian authorities today deported seven asylum seekers to the strife-torn Indonesian province of Aceh amid serious concerns raised by the UN refugee agency and despite recent assurances against forced returns." Source: UNHCR/ReliefWeb (5 September 2003)
Authorities arrest asylum-seekers outside UNHCR Offices "Malaysian police have arrested some two hundred and fifty asylum seekers outside the offices of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Kuala Lumpur over the last two weeks." Source: Human Rights Watch/ReliefWeb (29 August 2003)
*These are quotations and links to reports by third parties collected here for their topical relevance to refugee protection in a country with a large UNHCR RSD operation; responsibility for the accuracy and content of these reports belongs to the original authors. |
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RSDWatch.org An independent source of information about the way the UN refugee agency decides refugee cases.
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