UNHCR will share refugee details only if given assurance of no arrests

 

Following the call by Home Minster Hamzah Zainudin for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to share refugee details for the purpose of Covid-19 vaccinations, the UN body said it will do so only on the assurance that the refugees will not be arrested.

“UNHCR has asked the government to not arrest and detain refugees and asylum seekers, including those with an expired UNHCR document,” UNHCR public health official Dr Susheela Balasundaram told The Malaysian Insight.

She added that the agency was also ready to play its role in ensuring that all refugees and asylum seekers are vaccinated against Covid-19.

“The UNHCR is ready to assist in mobilising and reaching out to the refugee and asylum-seeking communities,” said Susheela, adding that it had already translated vaccine information posters and audio files into 11 languages commonly spoken by refugees.

She clarified that the UNHCR has been sharing data with various ministries, including the Foreign and Health Ministries, various state Health Departments and the Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre with a view to boosting immunisation.

Susheela also called on refugees to register using the MySejahtera app so that they can be contacted for immunisation.

Three days ago Hamzah announced that there are 178,715 UNHCR cardholders in the country, but there is no further information on where they are located.

“If UNHCR can provide us with detailed information, it will facilitate the government’s effort to achieve herd immunity to contain the spread of Covid-19 in the country,” he said.

2.5 million foreigners residing in Malaysia

He added that the ministry had identified almost 2.5 million foreigners in the country who held various documents issued by the government or third parties such as UNHCR, including prisoners and immigration detainees, for Covid-19 vaccination.

Hamzah had come under fire for initially taking a hardline stance by saying that law enforcers, including the Immigration Department, were prepared to make more arrests and that steps were being taken to boost the capacities at prisons and immigration detention centres.

However, after coming under fire, he clarified that he would work together with National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme Coordinating Minister Khairy Jamaluddin to ensure that the foreigners receive their vaccination.

“I wish to explain that Malaysians must understand that, for the country to reach herd immunity, every foreigner in Malaysia must be vaccinated,” he explained.

For foreigners who do not have valid documents and want to return to their country of origin, Hamzah said they could do so through the Return Recalibration Programme, which was introduced last year. - Mkini