Former Suhakam commissioner Jerald Joseph said something was amiss if the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) had to beg for access to immigration detention centres.

“Something is also wrong if the immigration director-general or home ministry can decide when and why the UNHCR can enter (these depots).

“This is because there is already a framework between the United Nations agency and the government on this matter,” he said during the launch of a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report here today.

The HRW report detailed allegations of human rights violations and abuse at immigration depots, based on interviews conducted with 43 former detainees.

The detainees were allegedly subjected to strict and arbitrary rules, with punishments for making noise or requesting basic necessities, as well as deplorable living conditions and a lack of medical care.

HRW also accused Anwar Ibrahim’s government of failing to reform immigration policies related to the treatment of migrants and refugees despite being critical of past administrations over the same issue.

Joseph said the government should be explicit about the matter if it did not wish to allow UNHCR access to detention centres.

“Don’t go around saying that we are a country which has a heart for the victims of brutal regimes.”

Bryony Lau, HRW’s deputy director for Asia, said nothing had changed in terms of NGOs’ access to immigration depots.

“We are constantly denied access, which is weird because it would be an easy win for the government to give access and it would be helpful.

“When Anwar was the opposition leader, he criticised the then-government for not allowing the UNHCR in, but nothing has changed now,” she said.