James Bawi Thang Bik, who leads the Alliance of Chin Refugees, noted recent reports of refugees who were arrested and deported during the movement control order (MCO) and warned that the deportees face severe consequences back home.
“The government should not lump migrants and refugees together because refugees are fleeing internal wars and conflicts, and cannot return to their home countries for fear of persecution and even death.
“Although the government doesn’t recognise refugees and asylum seekers, we hope there will be no repeats of such arrests and deportations,” he said at a press conference today.
Malaysia is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 protocol which guarantees the rights of those who are given asylum in a country. Both refugees and asylum seekers are considered undocumented, or illegal, migrants or Pendatang Asing Tanpa Izin, under the 1959/1963 Immigration Act.
James said his NGO is pushing for a meeting with Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin to discuss its concerns about the issue and to put forward a plea to grant the refugees protection.
In a statement in April, Hamzah said that while Putrajaya does not recognise the status of refugees, those holding United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) cards can temporarily reside in the country before they are relocated to a third country by UNHCR.
Klang MP Charles Santiago, who chairs the Asean Parliamentarians for Human Rights, said he would also try to set up a meeting with Hamzah to discuss the status of refugees in the country after unsuccessful efforts to meet previous home ministers.
“Now we have a new minister, so there is always a fresh start,” he said.
Santiago also pushed for the government to distinguish between undocumented migrants and refugees and asylum seekers, stating that the latter two were fleeing persecution in their home countries.
“If they go back, they could face jail time or be sent to the gallows.
“They are fleeing war or religious, political or economic persecution. Some of them are professionals such as doctors, engineers and technicians, and the government should look at allowing them to work temporarily here,” he said.
About 178,450 refugees and asylum seekers were registered with the UNHCR in Malaysia at the end of October.