Malaysia: Latest migrant arrests include UNHCR cardholders
Source: UNHCR
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In Malaysia, we are concerned that over the weekend, as part of a
general crackdown on undocumented migrants, some 45 Myanmar nationals holding UNHCR documents were arrested near the administrative capital of Putrajaya, and then detained. Despite quickly despatching
our team to the site to help the authorities verify the identities of those of concern to us, and in line with normal practice to ensure their release, they were taken to Lenggeng Immigration
Detention Centre. We are now working with the authorities on their release.Generally, the Malaysian authorities, aware of the humanitarian situation and vulnerability of people of concern to
UNHCR, have refrained from arresting or detaining people with our cards. But, in the last couple of months there has been a new development where persons carrying UNHCR cards have also been arrested
during these immigration raids. In December, 90 UNHCR card holders were arrested, and already this month 70 have been arrested.We hope this recent trend will quickly be reversed and the
authorities will continue to uphold their humanitarian commitment to refugees.There are some 46,000 persons of concern registered with UNHCR in Malaysia including 15,000 from the Indonesian
Province of Aceh, 12,000 Rohingyas from the Northern Rakhine State of Myanmar, 16,000 other ethnic minorities from Myanmar, such as the Chins and Myanmar Muslims and the remaining numbers from various
other countries.
