Malaysian foreign minister calls for review of UNHCR’s presence
Summary
Malaysia’s foreign minister said the country may reconsider allowing the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) to operate if it does not use stricter controls when giving refugee documents. This comes after Malaysian police detained over 100 Rohingya asylum seekers who had gathered outside the UNHCR office in Kuala Lumpur seeking help.Key Facts
- Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan wants stricter screening by UNHCR when issuing refugee IDs.
- More than 100 Rohingya asylum seekers were detained outside the UNHCR office in Kuala Lumpur.
- The Ministry of Home Affairs wants UNHCR and local authorities to jointly screen refugees.
- The UNHCR currently allows people to apply for refugee status online from their home country.
- The detained Rohingya had valid UNHCR documentation and are temporarily sheltered at a police station.
- Malaysia is not a UN Refugee Convention member but hosts about 126,000 registered Rohingya refugees.
- Refugees in Malaysia face increased scrutiny amid rising hate speech and misinformation online.
- Amnesty International criticized Malaysia for detaining refugees and called for respect of their human rights.
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