Refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia are subjected to widespread abuse and extortion, and live in constant fear they will be deported to countries where they face persecution, a new report says.
The international community, including Australia, should encourage Malaysia to ratify the Refugee Convention to ensure asylum seekers are better protected, the Amnesty International report says.
Countries such as Australia should also increase their resettlement of refugees currently in Malaysia, the report recommends.
There are 84,200 refugees and asylum seekers registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Malaysia. NGOs estimate there could be a further 90,000 who are not registered.
For most, Malaysia proves to be an unwelcoming and dangerous place, the report says.
"They come to Malaysia seeking safety, having fled situations of torture, persecution or death threats," it says.
"But once they arrive, they are abused, exploited, arrested and locked up, in effect treated like criminals."
Malaysian police and the People's Volunteer Corps arbitrarily detain, extort and beat refugees and asylum seekers, the report says.
Conditions inside Malaysia's detention centres are appalling and abuse is commonplace.
"Many are held for months without access to lawyers and with no way of appealing against their detention."
What's more, refugees and asylum seekers face the constant fear of being forced to return to a country where they may be stripped of their rights or even killed, the report says.
Malaysia must provide refugees and asylum seekers with formal legal status, identity documents and the formal right to work, the report recommends.
No comments:
Post a Comment