Protect Refugees and Asylum Seekers from Forced Labor and Human Trafficking

 Dear Friends,

There are over 94,000 refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia, and they are among the most destitute and marginalized populations in the country.

Refugees do not have the right to work. Their children cannot go to public school. They have very poor access to health care. Poverty and hunger are daily realities. And because they fled from their home countries due to persecution, they cannot return home.

To survive and provide for their families, refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia often work in low paying jobs without legal protection. Because their labor rights are not upheld in Malaysia, unscrupulous employers and agents take advantage of them. They use a host of tactics– including deception, withholding of wages, physical confinement, debt bondage, and violence–to force refugees into jobs and keep them from leaving.

Refugees and asylum seekers are all around us in Malaysia. A refugee might have served you coffee this morning in a restaurant. Or built the apartment you are living in.

Unfortunately, forced labor and human trafficking are also all around us in Malaysia. In fact, in a recent study, 61% of refugees and asylums who had worked full-time in Malaysia had experienced forced labor.

How does this affect refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia?  Research in Malaysia found that refugees who had experienced forced labor had higher rates of Depression and Anxiety compared to those who had not. It is also known that survivors of human trafficking suffer tremendously, particularly in terms of their health. They are vulnerable to infectious diseases, malnourishment and injuries. Mental health is equally a concern.

Momentum is building around the issues of trafficking and forced labor in Malaysia. The government is waking up to the problems, and civil society is working to create an environment that reduces vulnerability and protects survivors. What is needed now is for more people to take a stand and call for substantial changes in laws, policies and programs in the country.

This is where you can do your part.

Sign the Petition Letter to the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak, to take a stand against forced labor and human trafficking in Malaysia and to ask for a stronger protection environment for refugees and asylum seekers.