According to the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) and Unicef Malaysia, the lack of access to these basic services made them vulnerable to the effects of Covid-19 as they were unable to seek help.

Unicef Malaysia’s child protection chief Saskia Blume said the situation was worsening.

“The impact of Covid-19, if not addressed urgently, is likely to continue bringing long-term harm to their lives,” she said in a statement.

According to the report titled “Left Far Behind: The Impact of Covid-19 on Access to Education and Healthcare for Refugee and Asylum-seeking Children in Peninsular Malaysia”, the obstacles that prevented children from gaining access to education – including poverty – had worsened in a post-pandemic era.

IDEAS CEO Tricia Yeoh said while the nation was recovering from the pandemic, it was critical and urgent to focus on tackling fundamental human rights issues faced by asylum-seeking children and refugees here.

“In order for long-term systemic change to occur, we need to start including refugee and asylum-seeking children in national policies that protect and uphold their rights to education and healthcare.”