Malaysian foreign minister calls for review of UNHCR’s presence

The UN refugee agency is under pressure to impose stricter controls amid rising local backlash against Rohingya.

Malaysia’s foreign minister says the country should reconsider whether to allow the United Nations refugee agency to operate unless it imposes stricter controls on issuing refugee documents.
The comments from Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan, reported by state media on Tuesday, came a day after Malaysian authorities detained more than 100 Rohingya asylum seekers who had gathered outside the UNHCR premises in Kuala Lumpur to seek assistance after being evicted from their homes in the state of Penang.

Hasan added that the Malaysian Ministry of Home Affairs was working to ensure that the screening process for refugees was carried out jointly by the UNHCR and local authorities when issuing documentation.

“We want cooperation and strict screening. If they do not want to cooperate, in my opinion, it is time for us to reconsider the presence of UNHCR in the country so that we do not continue to be burdened,” he was quoted as saying by state news agency Bernama.

He further said that the UNHCR office in Malaysia allowed individuals to apply online from their home country and get a refugee card on arrival in Malaysia, thus attracting more refugees.

Earlier on Tuesday, the UN agency said in a statement that it was working with authorities to protect the detained Rohingya and verify their documentation.

“These efforts contributed to their transfer to alternative accommodation, which is ongoing,” the UNHCR said.

Bernama quoted a top police official as saying that all the detained Rohingya possessed valid UNHCR documentation and would be temporarily sheltered at the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters.

Malaysia has long been a safe haven for Rohingya fleeing persecution in Myanmar. Though it is not a signatory to the UN refugee convention, around 126,000 mostly Muslim Rohingya were registered with the UNHCR in the country as of the end of February.

But these refugees have faced increased scrutiny and harassment in recent months as online hate speech and misinformation against them are on the rise.

Rights group Amnesty International also voiced concern on Tuesday after Malaysian police detained the Rohingya asylum seekers.

“Malaysia cannot build a credible refugee protection system while simultaneously treating refugees as people to be rounded up, detained, and removed,” Amnesty International’s Malaysia branch said.

“Refugees and asylum seekers should be treated with dignity and in accordance with their human rights, as people who need protection,” it added.