Gov’t should review all policies affecting refugees in Malaysia

The World Refugee Day is held every year on June 20 to raise awareness about the plight of refugees around the world, with this year’s theme “Every Action Counts”.

It is an opportunity to raise awareness about the struggles the community face and to consider how Malaysians treat refugees within its borders.

It is also a day for us to reflect on the contributions of refugees to our nation’s economic development and celebrate their courage and resilience in the face of extreme hardships.

The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) is particularly disappointed having observed a rise in online hate speech and xenophobic rhetoric in recent months, coinciding with the immigration raids and detention of refugees and migrants.

Attitudes and policies toward refugees and migrants have hardened as the Covid-19 pandemic surged in Malaysia when instead, more compassion and tolerance towards those who are struggling for their survival is needed.

Suhakam wishes to reiterate that everyone can make a difference and have a role to play in promoting and protecting the rights of the refugee community.

Each has a role in dispelling negative views and discouraging untruths that have been attributed to the refugee community.

On its part, Suhakam will continue its efforts to increase community awareness about refugee and refugee children's rights; as well as to encourage the government to adopt comprehensive, inclusive, non-discriminatory, and long-term refugee protection policies.

Priority should be to grant refugee children access to public education, and those of age should be allowed to seek employment so they may be self-supporting and live with dignity.

The community deserves the right to access public medical facilities, as they should also have access to justice, when required.

Suhakam wishes to remind that the principle of non-refoulement guarantees that no one should be returned to a country where they are subjected to persecution, which is considered to form part of customary international law.

Suhakam urges the government to stop the interception and “pushback” of the boats carrying refugees, effectively denying their safety to be on land.

The government should review all policies affecting refugees in Malaysia, ensuring these are positive and consistent instead of ad-hoc in nature.

Suhakam will not relent in advocating for the accession to the 1951 Refugee Convention and urges the government to institutionalise this in the form of a bill on refugees that will be tabled in Parliament.

Suhakam would like to encourage the government to continue its international leadership especially with efforts in deepening cooperation with countries in the region, Asean and the international communities including the United Nations, UNHCR and OIC in finding lasting solutions to the longstanding refugee problems in Southeast Asia.

At the national level, Suhakam calls for all Malaysians to commit to do what is right in terms of supporting the refugee community to find safety, support and respect in our country; which will ultimately lead to a more just, inclusive, and equal world. - Mkini