Engage with us first on refugee tracking system, groups tell Hamzah

 

Refugee groups have urged Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin to engage with them about the Tracking Refugees Information System (TRIS) for all United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) cardholders before proceeding further with the initiative.

Alliance of Chin Refugees and Beyond Borders in a joint statement today said the TRIS for all UNHCR cardholders is “invasive, dehumanising and open to abuse”.

“As Hamzah (above) has hinted that registering with this system is compulsory, we ask that he meets with refugee community leaders and civil society organisations to hear our concerns before proceeding further with this initiative.

“Refugees are one of the most persecuted people globally and we, therefore, hope the government wouldn’t use punitive technology to rob refugees of their right to seek asylum or live with dignity,” said Alliance of Chin Refugees representative James Bawi Thang Bik and Beyond Borders president Mahi Ramakrishnan in their joint statement today.

The groups said they are not surprised about the introduction of the system as they say the government has always been adamant about tracking the whereabouts of refugees in the country.

They also questioned what Hamzah meant when he said the system was also to ensure whether the refugees are living in the country for the purpose of employment or to “carry out other matters” which could be improved through the policy approved by the National Security Council.

“What are the ‘other matters’? The protection of refugees has been fashioned out to be about securitisation.

“As such this is worrying, given the arrest and detention of refugees during immigration raids, and not to mention being nabbed by the police even if they have valid UN cards,” they said.

Malaysia has yet to show commitment to international laws or humanitarian principles governing the protection of refugees, they said, which is why they are concerned that TRIS will only add to the risk factors refugees face in the country.

With this system in place, refugees will become easy targets for arrests, detention and even deportation despite Malaysia being bound by the non-refoulement principle, they added.

Non-refoulement is a principle of international law forbidding a country receiving asylum seekers from returning them to a country where they would likely be in danger of persecution.

The two groups also pointed out that TRIS would further control the freedom of movement for refugees, which will subsequently severely hamper their livelihood as well.

The government approved the adoption of TRIS for all UNCHR cardholders in Malaysia on July 22, with Hamzah saying UNHCR cardholders in the country must register with Tris to identify the whereabouts of refugees and their reporting to the country. - Mkini