Two humanitarian organisations have warned that the temporary suspension of the UN refugee agency's registration of refugees could expose asylum seekers to arrest, detention, forced return and greater health risks.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and Asylum Access Malaysia (AAM) called for safeguards to be put in place as the government transitions to a national refugee registration system.
Putrajaya had directed the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to temporarily halt all refugee registrations while the government restructures its refugee management system through the Refugee Registration Document (DPP) programme.
Deputy Foreign Minister Lukanisman Awang Sauni told the Dewan Negara on July 23 that registration under the DPP would involve a strict process conducted with several enforcement agencies to ensure only eligible individuals were registered and prevent the future entry of undocumented migrants.
He added that Malaysia would continue working with Myanmar and other Asean countries to address the Rohingya refugee issue, adding that Malaysia should not continue bearing the burden of refugee management as it is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention.
However, MSF said any transition to a government-run system must include protection for asylum seekers who remain unregistered, are awaiting registration or are being held at immigration detention centres.
“We urge the government to provide clarity on interim safeguards to ensure the safety of refugees considering this recent announcement – particularly given the continuous climate of misinformation, disinformation and hate speech targeting the Rohingya refugee community.
“Individuals fleeing unimaginable violence and exploitation need care – not legal limbo and arbitrary detention,” it added.
Facilitating limited access
AAM welcomed the government’s commitment to establishing a national registration system but said UNHCR registration served as a key safeguard against arrest, detention and refoulement.
It said the UNHCR document also facilitated limited access to essential services, healthcare and legal protection.
According to AAM, the DPP was not yet available outside detention centres, while no public information had been provided on its timeline, eligibility requirements or procedures.
It warned that suspending UNHCR registration while immigration enforcement continued could leave asylum seekers entirely undocumented and exposed.
AAM urged the government to develop a joint transition plan with the UNHCR to ensure registration continued while the DPP was being implemented.
It also called for immigration action to be suspended against those awaiting registration and for clear interim protection measures to be introduced.
Healthcare access
MSF warned that asylum seekers could have their protection status sidelined during the transition, resulting in their medical and humanitarian needs being inadequately addressed.
The organisation said suspending refugee registration could also discourage undocumented refugees from seeking healthcare due to fear, a lack of documentation and higher costs.
“For medically vulnerable patients – children, pregnant women and those with chronic or infectious diseases – these delays can lead to preventable complications, emergency hospitalisations, treatment interruptions and avoidable deaths,” it said.
The registration freeze comes amid increased online hate campaigns against Rohingya refugees, including calls for members of the community to be “chased out” of Malaysia.
The surge in hostility had prompted former foreign minister Saifuddin Abdullah to urge the Home Ministry to present a ministerial statement in Parliament on the government’s refugee policy.
On July 8, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the DPP was necessary because the existing UNHCR-managed registration process involved lengthy data-sharing procedures with the government.
Concerns over repatriation
MSF and AAM expressed concern over the government’s announcement that approximately 5,000 Myanmar nationals held at immigration detention centres would be repatriated.
“With no safe path for return, this risks placing vulnerable individuals back into conditions they risked their lives to escape,” MSF said.
AAM said it was unclear what assessment had been conducted before the decision was made and warned that some detainees could face torture or death if returned to Myanmar.
It urged the government to disclose the assessment process and ensure no individual was forcibly returned until their protection needs had been fully and fairly assessed.
MSF further called on the government to maintain access to asylum procedures throughout the transition, clarify the interim safeguards available and recognise that “fleeing persecution is not a crime”.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim ordered the police, Immigration Department and other agencies to take firm action after more than 100 Rohingya refugees, including women and children, gathered outside the UNHCR office in Kuala Lumpur.
The group reportedly travelled from Penang seeking shelter and assistance after saying they had been driven from their homes. - Mkini
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