UNHCR has failed to resettle refugees in third countries, says Mohamad

KUALA LUMPUR: Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan has criticized the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for failing to resettle Rohingya refugees in third countries. Mohamad stated that although most Rohingya refugees in Malaysia hold UNHCR cards, the agency has only resettled around 5,000 refugees in the past two to three years.

He expressed disappointment that UNHCR has not fulfilled its mandate to resettle refugees in third countries, as it did during the Vietnamese refugee crisis in the 1970s. Mohamad argued that many traditional refugee-hosting countries, such as Australia, the United States, and Germany, have closed their doors and adopted restrictive immigration policies.

He emphasized that repatriation is not a viable option, as Rakhine State is now controlled by the Arakan Army, which has a history of brutal violence against the Rohingya. Mohamad firmly rejected the idea of sending the Rohingya back to their former homes in Rakhine State, stating that it would be tantamount to sending them to their deaths. He vowed in Parliament that he would not agree to such a decision.