Amnesty International Malaysia urged the government to be transparent about the assessment process applied to those facing deportation. PETALING JAYA: Amnesty International Malaysia has called on the government to clarify how asylum-seekers can seek protection while refugee registrations by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) are suspended. Its spokesperson, Divya Shesshsan Balakrishnan, said while the government’s efforts to develop a national refugee registration system and move towards formal recognition of refugees were welcomed, any transition away from UNHCR registration must not leave refugees and asylum-seekers without access to protection procedures.
He also questioned the timing of the government’s announcement, noting that the suspension of UNHCR registrations coincided with plans to repatriate about 5,000 Myanmar nationals currently held at immigration detention depots. Divya said Putrajaya must be transparent about how the individuals were assessed, whether they were given a genuine opportunity to establish their protection needs, and what safeguards were in place to ensure no one was returned to a situation where they could face persecution or other serious human rights violations. He said the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Myanmar meant any repatriation at this time could have devastating consequences.
“The fact that people are still risking their lives to escape should be a stark reminder for Malaysia and all neighbouring countries that conditions in Myanmar remain unsafe.” “Malaysia should immediately clarify how asylum-seekers are to seek protection while UNHCR registration is suspended, provide transparency on the assessment process applied to those facing deportation, and ensure that no one is returned before their protection needs have been fully and fairly assessed,” he said. Divya said people continued to undertake dangerous journeys to escape Myanmar, citing a recent incident in which about 500 people were feared dead after two boats carrying mostly Rohingya refugees capsized off the country’s coast. Earlier today, deputy foreign minister Lukanisman Awang Sauni said Putrajaya had directed UNHCR to temporarily halt all refugee registrations as the government restructures the country’s refugee management system through the refugee registration document (DPP) programme.
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