Don’t blame UNHCR for govt’s failure to manage refugees, minister told
P Ramasamy says the root cause of Malaysia's refugee issue is the absence of a legal framework to manage them effectively.
Former Penang deputy chief minister P Ramasamy has criticized Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail for blaming the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for Malaysia's inability to manage the refugee community. While UNHCR's online application system may be problematic, Ramasamy argues that it is not the primary cause of Malaysia's difficulties.
The real issue lies in the absence of a comprehensive national legal and administrative framework to effectively manage refugees and asylum seekers. Malaysia's failure to ratify the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol complicates the development of an effective legal framework to distinguish refugees from other migrants.
Consequently, UNHCR's online registration system has become a crucial administrative tool to determine refugee status and separate genuine asylum seekers from those seeking economic opportunities. Saifuddin's claim that UNHCR's online system allows foreigners to apply for refugee status from abroad and enter Malaysia while their applications are pending is seen as a convenient way to avoid addressing the deeper issues.
Ramasamy emphasizes that a legal framework would complement UNHCR's efforts to register, verify, and manage refugees, while also balancing enforcement and humanitarian obligations. He also notes that Malaysia remains heavily dependent on UNHCR's verification and enforcement information, which often lacks the necessary recognition and institutional standing to tackle the complex challenges faced by the government.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- Don’t blame UNHCR for govt’s failure to manage refugees, minister told freemalaysiatoday.com
