Refugee cards issued based on strict criteria, says UN agency

 

The UN refugee agency was accused of arbitrarily issuing refugee cards after immigration officials found several Indonesians to be holding such cards.

PETALING JAYA: The UN refugee agency UNHCR has given an assurance that refugee cards are issued only to applicants who meet strict criteria that determine the status of refugees.

A spokesman for UNHCR told FMT that cards are issued to those who satisfy the accepted international definition of needing refugee protection, without discrimination on the basis of race, religion, or nationality.

The spokesman said that UNHCR undertakes the process of determining the status of refugees in Malaysia as the country lacks a national asylum framework.

UNHCR made the statement after the home minister had questioned its actions in providing refugee identification cards to several Indonesian nationals.

The minister, Hamzah Zainudin, accused UNHCR of issuing refugee cards arbitrarily and demanded an explanation because those who possess the cards are able to somehow stay in the country legally.

A spokesman for the agency said anyone who fulfilled internationally-accepted criteria could be verified to be a refugee in need of international protection, regardless of which country they came from.

It said a refugee is defined as a person who has fled their country due to war and conflict, or who has fled persecution in their home country on the grounds of their race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion.

These people must have lost the protection of their own countries and are unable to return home safely.

Globally, there are some 25 million refugees and asylum-seekers emanating from a variety of countries who are considered to be in need of international protection. - FMT