Don’t blame UNHCR for govt’s failure to manage refugees, minister told

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 challenges in managing the refugee community. While UNHCR's online application system might be problematic, Ramasamy argues that it is not the primary source of Malaysia's difficulties in dealing with refugees.

The root cause lies in the lack of a comprehensive national legal and administrative framework to effectively manage refugees and asylum seekers. Malaysia's refusal to ratify the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol complicates the development of such a framework, making it difficult to distinguish refugees from other categories of migrants.

Consequently, UNHCR's online registration system has become a crucial administrative tool to determine refugee status and differentiate genuine asylum seekers from economic migrants. In a Facebook post, Ramasamy emphasized that Saifuddin is simply shifting responsibility to UNHCR instead of addressing the deeper issues. He stated that a legal framework would support UNHCR's registration, verification, and management of refugees, while also balancing enforcement and humanitarian obligations.

Furthermore, Ramasamy noted that Malaysia continues to rely heavily on UNHCR for verification and enforcement, and the agency often lacks the recognition and institutional standing needed to effectively address the complex problems facing the government. The former DAP leader urged Putrajaya to acknowledge the real issue and determine whether it has the political will to devise a sustainable solution.