Malaysia targets 20,000 refugee registrations next year
KUALA LUMPUR: The Refugee Registration Document (DPP) programme is targeting 20,000 registrations next year as the government becomes more proficient in the process, the Dewan Rakyat heard today.
The Malaysian government is aiming to register 20,000 refugees next year, according to a statement from Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail in the Dewan Rakyat. This year, the programme has already seen around 6,000 registrations, with 4,010 refugees detained at immigration depots and another 2,000 outside. The initial phase of the programme, launched in January, focused on detainees, who underwent police and Immigration Department interviews to determine their status.
The government's primary concern is the lack of information on the 225,000 refugees identified by the UNHCR, including their identities, addresses, and security backgrounds. Saifuddin stated that the DPP targets those in detention depots first, as they provide the most accessible information. The cut-off date for registrations, set to January 2023, aims to prevent the programme from attracting more refugees to enter Malaysia.
The DPP builds upon an earlier registration exercise that collected data on about 30,000 refugees, with the expanded database aimed at enhancing data credibility and supporting effective public policies.
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