Suhakam said the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has led to Palestinians fleeing, and many are likely to seek refuge in Malaysia.
“There are sizable Palestinian refugee communities including children and young adults in Serdang, Kajang, Gombak, Ampang and the Klang Valley who do not have access to education or face prohibitive procedural requirements,” it said in a statement today.
As such, it said, there is a need for a framework that can manage the influx of refugees from Palestine and other conflict-ridden regions in Malaysia.
The framework should be developed while taking into account the nation’s humanitarian obligations, national interests, and adherence to the principle of non-refoulement, the commission said.
“The principle of non-refoulement guarantees that no one should be returned to a country where they would face persecution, torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, or punishment and other irreparable harm,” it said.
Suhakam also said the framework should be able to address intricate issues, such as the status of refugees who finish their studies in Malaysia.
“We need clear guidelines on whether they must leave the country after graduation and the conditions for re-entry,” it said.
“For instance, in higher education, the requirement for refugee students to return to their home country before switching to other Malaysian higher institutions should be removed.”
Suhakam said addressing a humanitarian issue and ensuring the well-being of refugees on Malaysian soil is a collective responsibility, irrespective of the country’s position on the 1951 Refugee Convention.
Malaysia is not a signatory to the document, which safeguards the rights and protection of those granted asylum by the country sheltering them.
Putrajaya considers refugees and asylum seekers to be undocumented, or “illegal” migrants under the 1959/1963 Immigration Act.
As of August, there were 182,820 refugees and asylum seekers registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Malaysia. The majority are from Myanmar, comprising Rohingya, Chin and other ethnic groups. Some 580 were Palestinians.