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

Former Penang deputy chief minister P Ramasamy has hit out at home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail for claiming that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is the “root cause” of Malaysia’s struggle to manage the refugee community.

Ramasamy said while UNHCR’s online application system might be a problem, it was not the primary cause of Malaysia’s difficulties with regard to refugees.

“The true problem is the absence of a broader national legal and administrative framework to manage refugees and asylum seekers effectively.

“Malaysia’s non-ratification of the Refugee Convention 1951 and its 1967 Protocol makes it difficult to develop and sustain a comprehensive national legal framework to manage the arrival and presence of refugees, while distinguishing them from other categories of migrants.

“Given this situation, UNHCR’s online registration system has become an important administrative mechanism to determine refugee status and distinguish genuine asylum seekers from those who might be using the system for economic migration purposes,” the Urimai chairman said in a Facebook post.

Yesterday, Saifuddin told the Dewan Rakyat that UNHCR’s online registration system allowed foreigners to apply for refugee status from abroad and enter Malaysia while their applications are pending.

Ramasamy said Saifuddin was choosing the easy way out by passing the buck to UNHCR when the root cause runs much deeper.

He said having a legal framework would complement UNHCR’s efforts to register, verify and manage refugees. It would also help balance enforcement and humanitarian obligations while determining appropriate and lawful solutions for refugees who cannot remain in the country, he said.

Malaysia is still heavily dependent on information from the UN agency for verification and enforcement, the former DAP leader added.

“The agency is not always accorded the recognition and institutional standing necessary to help address the difficult problems confronting the government.”

The former Perai assemblyman also said Putrajaya must acknowledge the real issue at hand and ask itself whether it has the political will to develop a lasting solution.