Trump administration to allow 872 refugees into US this week

WASHINGTON: The US government has granted waivers to let 872 refugees into the country this week, despite President Donald Trump’s executive order on Friday temporarily banning entry of refugees from any country, according to an internal Department of Homeland Security document seen by Reuters.

A Homeland Security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the waivers, noting that the refugees were considered “in transit” and had already been cleared for resettlement before the ban took effect.

Refugees preparing for resettlement typically have severed personal ties and relinquished their possessions, leaving them particularly vulnerable if their plans to depart are suddenly canceled.

The waivers, granted by the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), came amid international protests against Trump’s rushed executive order. Critics said the order in some cases was not clearly communicated to the agencies responsible for implementing it.

It was not known if additional waivers would be granted, the official said. The document did not give the nationalities of the refugees who will be admitted into the United States.



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Over the weekend, non-refugee visitors from seven majority-Muslim countries also targeted in Trump’s executive order were detained, deported and in some cases blocked from boarding flights to the United States.

The countries covered by the traveler ban were Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Libya and Yemen.

The internal DHS document said that between late Friday and early Monday 348 visa holders were prevented from boarding US-bound flights. In addition, more than 200 people landed in the United States but were denied entry, the document showed.

More than 735 people were pulled aside for questioning by US Customs and Border Protection officers in airports, including 394 legal permanent US residents holding green cards, over the same time period.

Trump said the executive order he signed on Friday was designed to protect the United States “from foreign terrorist entry.”

The order stopped all refugee admissions for 120 days while government officials determine how to ensure that any refugees admitted do not pose a threat.

The 872 refugees to be admitted this week, under the waivers, were screened using Obama administration procedures, which typically take two years and include several interviews and a background check.

The DHS said on Sunday night that green card holders would be allowed to board US-bound flights, but would be subjected to additional scrutiny upon arrival.



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The public guidance from DHS also said some people from the seven majority-Muslim countries could be allowed entry to the United States on a case-by-case basis.

Congressional Democrats and some foreign countries, including key US allies, put pressure on Trump on Monday over the executive order.

Democratic Senators tried to force a vote on a bill to rescind the order, but were blocked by a Republican lawmaker. Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein said she had 27 co-sponsors for the legislation. But under Senate rules it takes only one member to prevent a vote, and Republican Senator Tom Cotton blocked consideration of the measure.

The Democrats’ leader in the US Senate, Chuck Schumer, said he would bring legislation on Monday evening seeking to end the ban, although the measure stood little chance of being passed by the Republican-led Congress. http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com

Asean lacks coordination on refugees

Kota Kinabalu: There is lack of coordination among Asean member states as well as lack of political will among leaders to bring about a permanent solution on the problem of refugees.

This is also compounded by marriages and liaisons between locals and refugees.

"There is also the problem of Asean countries which have not ratified the Refugee Convention.

"There are issues of governance in the countries from where refugees flee. UN perspective on Advocacy on Refugees is not working in Asean – it only works with countries providing ODA or Official Development Assistance such as the European Union, United States of America, Japan and Australia.

"There are also problems in the enforcement of refugee rights," said MJ Paluga if the University of Philippines Mindanao with AM Raqragio.

"He said the Asean Human Rights Declaration (AHRD) 2013 and Refugees, Article 2 stipulates: "Every person is entitled to the rights and freedoms set forth herein, without distinction of any kind, such as race, gender, age, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, economic status, birth, disability or other status."

Malaysia does not even accord to some of its citizens that are not of Malay ethnicity, Muslim creed, as many permanent residents holding red ICs, as well as Article 22: the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.

There is no freedom of religion for Muslims other than Islam of the Sunni Shafie School in Malaysia or risk being labelled as deviant or unbelievers," he said.

"Under Article 35 on the right to development, even Malaysians in constituencies won by opposition do not get to enjoy public funding for development in some cases.

"What can we learn from ground realities? Institutional and international humanitarian-concern framings regarding the so-called 'refugee problem' should periodically calibrate itself to emerging phenomena from the ground so that our Asean Community response is more inclusive," said Paluga.

In 2015, Malaysia was estimated to have a labour work force of 14 million out of a population of 31 million citizens.

A reason for not adopting the UN Refugees charter was that it would be too expensive to accord them the treatment they deserve by law.

However, Paluga said there is also an Asean Human Rights Declaration (AHRD) 2013 and Malaysia is a member.

He was speaking at a session at the 10th International Malaysian Studies Conference at UMS.

"According to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) roundtable on Nov 6, 2015, the Malaysia Trade Union Congress (MTUC) cited the Ministry of Human Resource estimate of undocumented migrants at around two million to the Ministry of Home Affairs estimate of undocumented migrants at around four million.

"The Ministry of Human Resource as of June 2015, estimated that there were 2,245,513 documented foreign workers.

"Unpublished figures from the Enforcement Division of the Immigration Department on the 2011 amnesty exercise registered 1,303,126 undocumented migrants.

"Hence, there are no definite authoritative figures to show the facts. In Sabah, the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report on illegal migrants is still pending for action.

Paluga noted that Myanmar does not want to have any discussion on refugees. The country once told former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir to take all the Muslims if he was so concerned about them.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman, as the Asean Chair in 2015, stated that the long term solution would be for Myanmar to resolve the Rohingya crisis domestically," said Dagmar Oberlies in a presentation 'Human Rights Based Approaches – A Critical Review'.

http://www.dailyexpress.com.my

In Malaysia, 128,800 people effectively slaves, survey finds

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 11 — Over 128,000 workers in Malaysia are employed in slave-like conditions and treated like livestock, according to the Global Slavery Index 2016.

The survey ranked Malaysia 50th out of 167 countries measured, with nearly a half per cent of the over 30 million population working in exploitative conditions described as “modern slavery”.

“[Modern] slavery refers to situations of exploitation that a person cannot refuse or leave because of threats, violence, coercion, abuse of power or deception, with treatment akin to a farm animal.

“For example, their passport might be taken away if they are in a foreign country, they may experience or be threatened with violence or their family might be threatened,” said the Walk Free Foundation that commissioned the report.

In the region, Malaysia was behind Singapore (130th, 9,200 people) in the number of workers considered to be modern day slaves, but ahead of Vietnam (47th, 139,300), the Philippines (19th, 401,000), Thailand (16th, 425,000) and Indonesia (10th, 736,100) The country with the most enslaved workers was India, with over 18 million, followed by China (3.3 million) and Pakistan (2.1 million). Luxembourg has the fewest at 100.

Over 45 million people across the 167 countries were in modern slavery.

Malaysia was also rated “CCC” in terms of government action to modern-day slavery, which is categorised as “limited response” as well as “limited support” for victims. The 10-tier ranking ranges from “AAA”, the best, to D, the worst.

According to the report, the majority of modern-day slaves in Malaysia — as with other richer Asian countries — were women and young girls who migrated work as domestic helpers.

“Inhumane treatment of domestic workers including starvation and sexual abuse was reported in 2015, as well as indicators of forced labour including extortionate recruitment fees, confinement to the place of employment, excessive unpaid overtime, withholding of wages and confiscation of identity documents,” the report said.

The spotlight fell on human smuggling in Malaysia and the surrounding region during a refugee crisis last year, when an estimated 6,000 to 20,000 migrants fleeing ethnic persecution in Myanmar and poverty in Bangladesh were left adrift in the Andaman Sea and the Straits of Malacca.

In what was dubbed a massive humanitarian disaster by the United Nations, the boat people were believed abandoned by their traffickers with little food or water.

Malaysia was previously ranked in the lowest Tier 3 of the US annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report, but was upgraded to its current Tier 2 “watch list” despite the discovery of 139 graves and 28 human trafficking camps at Wang Kelian, Perlis, along the Thai border.

Lawmakers in both countries expressed suspicion at the time that Malaysia’s upgrade was to facilitate its participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership; the Tier 3 status would have prevented the US from entering a trade deal with Malaysia.

http://www.themalaymailonline.com

Myanmar begins repatriation of 2,000 migrants from Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 10 ― Beginning this week, the Myanmar government will be beginning the process of taking home some 2,000 of its people who have been detained for months in Malaysia, Myanmar Times reported today.

The whole process could take up to a month with at least 10 chartered flights, each carrying 130 migrants on board, according to the report.

“We have plans go through this repatriation process more than 10 times, chartering flights with more than 130 on board each time,” Myanmar’s labour and immigration ministry permanent secretary U Myo Aung was quoted saying.

Migrant workers from Myanmar were detained by Malaysian authorities, reportedly for various offences, including expiration of their visas.

However, the newspaper also reported criticisms against the Myanmar embassy for allegedly taking too long to approve visa extensions for the migrant workers, which led to their detention by authorities here. As such, they were unable to return even after their citizenship had been confirmed.

The Myanmar official was also reported saying its government planned to help the workers secure jobs after repatriation, though it was unclear if it would be in Myanmar or elsewhere.

The repatriation process is being funded by private donors such as MAI Airlines and KBZ Brighter Future Myanmar Foundation.

The process was supposed to start in July, but was cancelled due to lack of funding.

Last year, tens of thousands of Myanmar and Bangladesh nationals were left stranded at sea by human traffickers in Southeast Asian waters. More than 1,000 of them landed in Malaysia’s northwestern island of Langkawi.

The subsequent investigation into the human trafficking syndicate led to discovery of 139 sites mass graves at the north of Malaysia, near the Thailand border, where Myanmar refugees, mostly from the minority Muslim Rohingya community, were believed to have been held

http://www.themalaymailonline.com

Let refugees work legally — Lee Hwok Aun

The Rio 2016 Olympics is making waves for reasons glorious and notorious, but the carnival of sport has made one unambiguously positive statement with the first ever inclusion of a team of refugees. The athletic participation of nationally displaced peoples, alongside those flag-bearing for their homelands, serves timely notice to Malaysia to consider ways that refugees can participate more broadly in our economy and society. In particular, we should open up channels for refugees to work formally and legally. 

Refugees in Malaysia are officially prohibited from working, but circumstances force them to take up jobs informally, enduring risk and hardship just to earn income and support their families. The system also puts compassionate employers who employ them, or want to hire, in a bind.

Why should we legalise work for refugees? First and foremost, refugees are fellow human beings, worthy of the same dignity and deserving of basic needs. They have fled persecution, oppression, forced displacement, war, and other horrors, suffering unimaginable violations of human rights, equality and dignity. They are among the most vulnerable people in the world; it is incumbent on humanity to show compassion and extend practical assistance. Moreover, if prohibited from working formally and deprived of income, refugees will be driven to informal work, and possibly illegal, undesirable activities. 

Permitting refugees to work also stands to deliver benefits to Malaysia’s economy and society. Refugee workers often take up jobs than locals shun, and in being productively employed they contribute to national income. They also tend to migrate with families and are thus likely to a substantial share of their income in the local economy. Refugees can bring skills and knowledge, add diversity, and with their relatively younger age profile, contribute a demographic dividend – they can continue to be productive for many years and across generations. 

Of course, some concerns arise on the cost side – but the evidence indicates that refugee receiving countries by and large can cope. Will local workers get displaced? Evidence from the OECD countries, which have relatively more experience in extending work access to refugees, shows that such effects are usually modest in amount. Refugees’ usage of public services are also not overly burdensome; the OECD average is 0.19 per cent of GDP. In any case, public expenditures should also not be counted solely as costs. Education and health services help cultivate a more capable and dynamic refugee population. 

There is vast room for improvement in the state of refugees here. Such communities are already in Malaysia, and the majority are working informally because otherwise they cannot feed their families. The total number of refugees registered with the UNHCR is roughly 151,000. Of these, about 124,000 are of working age (16-59 years). Approximately three quarters of refugee households have at least one person working or looking for work – all in informal work arrangements with no legal protection. They are located throughout Peninsular Malaysia, but concentrated in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor (just over 60 per cent of total).

Not surprisingly, a UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) survey of refugees in Malaysia found them in dire states: 64 per cent find their economic conditions have worsened since arriving in Malaysia, 72 per cent believe lack of legal status is an impediment to higher income employment, while 42 per cent of households bear debt burdens. The Rohingyas and people of other Myanmar origin groups, who constitute the vast majority of refugees, are more likely to work in dangerous, strenuous and unhealthy environments. At the same time, they widely declare a willingness to work, including in plantations.

These conditions make for a compelling case that refugees should be provided the means to formal employment, on humanitarian and national interest grounds. Refugees, already residing in Malaysia, present an able and willing workforce that can work more gainfully and productively if granted formal employment permits, and that help alleviate our persisting labour shortage problems.

Most refugees are already working, performing jobs too onerous, elementary and unattractive to Malaysians. Even if more join the workforce, the impact will be minimal. Working refugees constitute less than one percent of total employed persons in Peninsular Malaysia, and if those who are not working enter the labour force, their number touches only 3 per cent of jobs advertised on JobsMalaysia.com, the Ministry of Human Resource’s employment portal. 

In terms of public provisions, the scale is similarly negligible. Malaysia does not incur expenses refugee resettlement or welfare payments. Indeed, the bulk of refugee-related budget is spent on placing them in detention facilities.

The Olympics come and go, the Rio torch will be extinguished, but the plight of refugees burns on.

All in all, there are multiple benefits and minimal costs to formally employing refugees in Malaysia. In line with the policy of hiring migrant workers who are already here and reducing the incidence of undocumented labour, it is only right, proper and opportune to channel more national attention and effort into actionable solutions for refugees.

* Lee Hwok Aun is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Development Studies, University of Malaya.

** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail Online.

http://www.themalaymailonline.com

Malaysia, UNHCR to form joint task force over fake refugee cards

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Malaysia and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have agreed to immediately set up a joint task force to overcome the problem of fake UNHCR cards issued by unscrupulous syndicates.

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said among the immediate measures to be taken by the task force was asking all UNHCR card holders to re-register themselves with the body.

He said the agreement was reached at a meeting with UNHCR’s Assistant High Commissioner Volker Turk in Bali yesterday.

“We agreed to add more security features to the existing UNHCR card and that re-registration of genuine card holders should be done,” he told reporters after attending the official opening of the Bali Process in Bali today.

The Malaysian authorities have found that syndicates have been issuing fake UNHCR cards, one of the factors for the influx of foreign immigrants including those not recognised as refugees, into Malaysia.

Up to August 2015, there were 153,000 refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia and the majority of them, at 93 percent, were from Myanmar and the rest from Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, Iraq, Iran and Palestine, among the countries.

The fake UNCHR card-issuing syndicates were detected since a few years ago when the authorities arrested several foreign immigrants who were carrying the UNHCR card but during investigation, the cards were found to be fake and they admitted to having entered Malaysia illegally.

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Cooperation on accepting Syrian migrants

Ahmad Zahid said Malaysia and the UNHCR also agreed to cooperate in accepting the arrival of Syrian migrants to the country as was announced by the prime minister at the 70th United Nations General Assembly in New York in October, last year.

“I will also be chairing a high-level committee meeting on these Syrian migrants soon,” he said.

When delivering the nation’s statement in conjunction with the Bali Process, Ahmad Zahid, who is also Home Minister, said Malaysia urged human traffickers to be taken to court, and to see whether the legal provisions of the countries concerned could be enforced together.

He said all member states of the Bali Process wanted practical solutions to the real causes of human trafficking and smuggling of migrants as the crime was increasingly worrying.

“The criminals have managed to dupe various groups, especially women and children, and they carry out this activity as a lucrative business.

“So, concerted efforts are needed to prevent these criminals from bribing enforcement officers in order to conduct their illegal activity.”

Ahmad Zahid said the meeting in Bali also wanted an integrated approach to ensure that the source countries be responsible for their citizens’ action of entering other countries illegally.

“I am confident the willingness of all countries to share their information and experience to combat human trafficking and smuggling could result in the creation of a data base for a concerted strategy,” he said.

The deputy prime minister said a long-term approach was necessary to eradicate this criminal activity as it could create various other problems, including threatening a country’s security and public order.

The one-day Sixth Ministerial Conference of the Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime (Bali Process) was jointly chaired by Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and his Australian counterpart Julia Bishop.

It was participated by 48 member states and representatives of the UNHCR, International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC), among others, as well as observers.

The conference is a major platform in tackling the issue in the Asia-Pacific region.

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Agreement to impose tighter border controls

Ahmad Zahid said the source countries attending the conference agreed to impose tighter control at their respective border areas, to prevent the human trafficking and smuggling problem from being shouldered by other countries.

“We admit it’s not easy to curb this, especially stopping people who want to migrate to earn a living in another country, as the human trafficking victims don’t regard themselves as victims but economic opportunity seekers.”

He said as an additional measure to prevent illegals from sneaking into the country, the government would tighten security control by erecting or rebuilding fences along the border in the peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak.

Besides that, he said, the authorities would be using drones and satellite for surveillance in the areas involved.

“We know that many rat trails (through which illegals enter the country) have become elephant trails and the border fences have been damaged, but we are taking action on this,” he added.

- Bernama

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Nur Jazlan slams UNHCR over issuance of refugee cards

Deputy Minister says the government is doing its best for refugees even though it is not obligated to do so, but the UNHCR can do more to help.

KUALA LUMPUR: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Malaysia should be more responsible when issuing refugee cards, said Deputy Home Minister Nur Jazlan Mohamed.

He said checks by the immigration department revealed abuse of UNHCR cards by foreigners, including by Arabs and Africans, who came into the country legally but overstayed and later applied for refuge status through the international agency.

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“We are telling the UNHCR to be responsible for the refugee cards they issue, to find out whether these are forged by agents on the streets or supplied by them.

“The immigration department recently met the UNHCR to ensure their cards were genuine. We have suggested that they link their database with ours but they have yet to respond to that,” Nur Jazlan told reporters outside the Parliament building yesterday.

He added that Malaysia was not a signatory to the UNHCR’s convention and yet, due to the international body’s own faults, the government was the one subjected to accusations of neglect and unjust treatment of those who had come to seek refuge here.

“Why should we take care of the refugees when we are not a signatory to their (UN) conventions? You (UNHCR) talk so much about us not taking care of the refugees whilst we are not a signatory, but what do you do?

“You push the burden on us. You fault us for not helping these people. We are, but we have to make sure that whatever help we provide is going to be meaningful.

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“That it will help us improve their lives and future. Not just for them to be abused again.”

The Pulai MP was responding to criticisms made by the UNHCR against the government following arrests of migrants with refugee cards.

He said the government was doing its best to ensure the wellbeing of the refugees although they were not directly under its responsibility.

Nur Jazlan said the UNHCR is to be blamed for making things worse by being careless in the issuance of its refugee cards.

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UNHCR unable to stop refugee card counterfeits

KUALA LUMPUR: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says it has no control over fake refugee cards being circulated, saying that the market exists as refugee status is not given out easily.

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UNHCR Malaysia representative Richard Towle said that they had issued about 158,000 cards and that it was possible to replicate features of a legitimate card to make a fake.

Towle said a card featured in a recent news report was fake, as its details did not match that in their database.

"Somebody in the community has paid money to get a false card, it has nothing to do with the UNHCR," Towle told The Star Online.

Towle said that UNHCR had robust and rigorous procedures to decide on a person's refugee status, adding that their card system was controlled very tightly.

He said that they collected biometric data such as fingerprints and even retinal scans.

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"We have procedures so the most vulnerable people get our help as quickly as possible," he said.

Towle added they were not concerned about the number of cards issued, saying that it was more important that it was issued to those who actually needed protection.

He said that local authorities could verify if a UNHCR card was genuine via the Internet or by calling a hotline, and added that they had a high degree of cooperation with the Government.

As of end February 2016, there are some 158,510 refugees and asylum-seekers registered with UNHCR in Malaysia with about 145,000 of them from Myanmar.

There are another 14,120 refugees and asylum-seekers from other countries, including from Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Somalia, Syrian, Iraq, Yemen, Palestine and Iran.

UNHCR defends registration card system in Malaysia

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has defended its registration card system after Malaysian officials accused the refugee agency of "mismanagement" and allowing the system to be abused.

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By Sumisha Naidu, Malaysia Correspondent, Channel NewsAsia

KUALA LUMPUR: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has defended its registration card system after Malaysian officials accused the refugee agency of "mismanagement" and allowing the system to be abused.

UNHCR's representative to Malaysia, Richard Towle, told Channel NewsAsia officials seems to have misunderstood its role in the country as well. He disagreed that the refugee agency should be solely responsible for asylum seekers and refugees just because Malaysia is not a signatory to the 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees.

"Our role here is given to us by the United Nations of which Malaysia is one of the members - let's be clear that Malaysia is part of the United Nations - and the United Nations has been given the responsibility to help take refugees where countries don't feel they can do it on their own," he said.

"We are here to help Malaysia deal with the refugee problem, we are not a substitute for Malaysia's responsibilities to deal with refugees." These comments come as the UNHCR is taken to task by officials over reports of people being able to buy fake UNHCR cards for as little as US$30.

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Deputy Home Minister Nur Jazlan Mohamed told reporters on Tuesday (Mar 22) that immigration authorities had trouble distinguishing between fake and real UNHCR cards as well.

"There are incidences where people not from Myanmar ... have UNCHR card. Because when they run out of social passes, when they overstay, they go to the UNHCR office and apply for status as refugees," he said.

"Actually that is wrong ... we are telling the UNHCR, you will be responsible for the cards you issue, whether it is forged by agents on the street or issued by them, they have to take responsibility."

Mr Towle said tackling the problem requires government collaboration as well. "We are satisfied that the procedures we have put in place for genuine refugees have very strong security features, there are tough tests and we produce high quality cards that cannot be duplicated - we can tell the difference between real cards and false cards," he said.

"That means we need to have a closer degree of cooperation between our work and the work of the law enforcement officials in Malaysia, try to root out those who are capitalising and benefiting on people's misery, to be frank."

Malaysian Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Shahidan Kassim has long wanted the refugee agency to stop issuing ID cards altogether without first consulting the government. As it is, Malaysia already has more than two million undocumented migrants on its shores.

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Officials want UNHCR to resettle registered asylum seekers and refugees in countries that are signatories to the 1951 convention to reduce the number of migrants and security risk in Malaysia.

Mr Towle said UNHCR in Malaysia had already resettled more than 100,000 asylum seekers and refugees in the past ten years. But resettlement is not an option for everyone and it wants the government to consider granting those who remain access to basic rights, such as the right to work.

This is something Deputy Home Minister Nur Jazlan said they are looking into via a pilot programme launched last December.

"We are not signatories to the UNHCR agreement, therefore we are not responsible for the fate of the refugees here but for humanitarian reasons and because there's a large number of them in this country, due to the mismanagement of the UNHCR, we are now thinking of (how they can work here)," he said.

- CNA/de

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Empowered via aquaponics

KLANG: The Elshaddai Refugee Learning Centre (ERLC) will have six aquaponics systems to help them create sources of income, thanks to a RM20,000 donation from the German embassy.

Aquaponics is a self-sustaining method that combines fish farming with gardening in a completely waste-free system.

The waste from the fish provides an organic food source for the plants, which in turn, give a natural filter for the fish to live in.

German Ambassador to Malaysia Holger Michael said the produce from this project would be sold to nearby churches to supplement ERLC’s operation cost.



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“Besides, this project aims to provide healthy food for the students while giving them hands-on knowledge in environmental science, botany and biology,” he said after visiting the centre and the aquaponics project corner yester-day.

He said the embassy would provide annual mini grants to organisations all over Malaysia in various areas such as education.

During the visit, the children attending ERLC were also given sports equipment such as sportswear.

ERLC founder Andrew Ng said the aquaponics project was also a way to teach the older refugee children to be environmental friendly farmers.

“It helps them develop skills that will augur well for their future, apart from generating the much needed income to fund the learning centre,” he said.

Founded in 2008 and registered under the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, ERLC is the most diverse refugee school in Malaysia, providing education to over 400 students aged between four and 17 from nine countries.

There are 28 volunteer teachers at the ERLC to handle the 19 classes ranging from kindergarten to Form 2.

The school also offers projects in science, music, arts and crafts, among others, in its curriculum.



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Govt to check refugee card machine

THE Government will inspect a new machine used to issue cards to refugees by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim said the machine was meant to ensure cards issued to refugees were tamper-proof and could not be reproduced by syndicates.

“We are aware of cases where illegal immigrants managed to buy fake cards for RM120 each.

“We have reported the matter to the police and UNHCR,” he said in response to Tan Kok Wai (DAP-Cheras) in Parliament.

He added that as of February, Malaysia had records of 158,516 refugees and asylum seekers with UNHCR cards. Of these, 133,388 were from Myanmar, mostly Rohingya.

Shahidan said he would raise the Government’s concerns on the issue during a meeting with UNHCR representatives next week.

“It is a serious matter because we are not sure who the cardholders really are. We are concerned that the cards may be issued to those involved in terrorist activities like the Islamic State group,” he said.

Shahidan reiterated that Malaysia was not responsible for refugees and asylum seekers as the country was not party to the UN convention and protocol on refugees.

“UNHCR is responsible for housing the refugees and attending to their daily needs. We have asked them to speed up the process of repatriating them to a third country,” he said.

He acknowledged calls by several quarters to let refugees work.

“We are considering this request and the matter is under discussion. A decision will be announced soon,” he said.

UNHCR urged to implement security features on its cards

JITRA, March 20 — The Home Ministry has urged the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to implement security features on its cards.

The ministry’s secretary-general Datuk Seri Alwi Ibrahim said, it was necessary to prevent UNHCR cards from being forged arbitrarily by immigrants and those claiming to be refugees.

“We at the ministry have the Immigration Department conducting constant enforcement together with the police to check whether their documents are genuine or not.

“But as of recently, there is the issue of refugees using forged UNHCR cards. So we will be working with the UNHCR to determine whether the cards are genuine or not, he told reporters after officiating at the Distinguished Service Award Ceremony of Malaysian Prisons Department North Zone 1, here today.

He was responding to media reports regarding the misuse of UNHCR cards, by using forged cards, to get jobs in the country.

In the meantime, Alwi said the dependence on foreign workers may be reduced by training and developing skills and aptitudes of prison inmates in various fields. This will help fill the void in manufacturing, agriculture and other employment sectors.

“Some 99 per cent of the 21,124 inmates who completed their rehabilitation programme outside prison from 2008 to 2015 managed to get jobs and last year’s statistics show that only 0.34 per cent went back to crime,” he said. — Bernama

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UNHCR needs to review and revise its card issuance programme — Khen Han Ming 

MARCH 21 — The latest media exposé on forged UNHCR cards in Malaysia is nothing new, as issues and concerns pertaining to the forgery of UN refugee cards are also prevalent in many other countries outside Malaysia.

This, however, sheds some light into a dark realm of gross neglect and blatant disregard for the existing loopholes in the system that has been for umpteen times abused and exploited with possible involvement of corruption which has yield its toll on the problem which could be managed in a more proactive and systematic manner.

For one, genuine personal data of refugees are being leaked to syndicates by irresponsible parties and this enabled multiple cloning of bona-fide identities which could be traced back to the database.

It is a major concern in the security community that the forged refugee identity cards could pose a serious threat to both domestic and national security as the modus operandi in the black market seems to show a severe lack of integrity and control in the entire system.

We need to consider the numerous risks involved, from different angles of criminal activities, subversion to terrorism which is equally detrimental to the personal safety of the actual data owner themselves due to the mass exploitation of their personal details for use by syndicates in reproduction of these forged refugee cards.

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The Malaysian authorities, on the other hand, should consider a more proactive approach in managing this issue.

Being a non-signatory member of the United Nations 1951 Refugee Convention, it is the prerogative of the government to stand firm on urging the UNHCR to enhance the card’s security features and possibly conduct a crackdown to weed out illegal immigrants and pressure the world body to review and revise its card issuance programme.

The UNHCR should review its entire database against the total number of cards issued, which should be jointly collaborated with Home Ministry in order to enable an integrated database for reference and conduct of due diligence checks and records available for lookup by the authorities.

After all, we’ve been hearing about all the aggressive policing measures to safeguard our country’s state of security, which include measures on documenting illegal immigrants and foreign workers. Why should fake refugees and asylum seekers be exempted from this process and treated with full immunity at the end of the day?

* Khen Han Ming is principal consultant at JK Associates.

** This is the personal opinion of the writer and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail Online.

- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com

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Refugees in Malaysia: Victims of their identity — Shaun Kang

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MARCH 19 — I refer to the news report on March 17, 2016 titled “Cops warn of crime spike as cartels sell fake refugee cards to illegal immigrants.” Firstly, I share the authorities’ concern that the rising number of illegal immigrants is indeed troubling and should be addressed.

However, this concern should not serve to distort the distinction between refugees and illegal immigrants (including those who attempt to pose as refugees). Nor should it emit fear among the authorities for UNCHR to continue issuing identity cards (“refugee cards”).

Who are refugees and what are refugee cards?

Refugees are persons defined and protected by international law (in particular, the Refugee Convention). For a person to be recognised as a refugee, they would first have to undergo a complex interview and fact-finding process conducted by highly skilled and trained persons (often experts in the fields, including lawyers trained in international law).

A person will only be recognised as a refugee if he or she meets certain stringent criteria stipulated by the Refugee Convention. In Malaysia, this pivotal role of determining an applicant’s status is carried out by UNHCR on behalf of the government.

Essentially, refugees are not in Malaysia on their own terms. Rather, they are fellow human beings, who flee from their country for a variety of reasons, often including, torture, murder, rape, arbitrary arrests and deprivation of citizenship.

Further, refugees are not here with the intention to live indefinitely but are usually on transit, awaiting resettlement to a third country. The refugee card, which is often the only form of personal identification for a refugee, also commonly serves as the only means for UNHCR and the authorities to identify and distinguish between a refugee and an economic migrant.


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UNHCR and refugee cards

I turn to address the point made on UNHCR’s lack of legal standing to issue refugee cards. Firstly, the issuance of an identity document by UNHCR is not only practically necessary for monitoring and enforcement exercises but also consistent with the Refugee Convention and universal principles of International Law.

The government’s stance on the issuance of this identity document is arguable. In reality, UNHCR has been present in Malaysia for more than 40 years and its involvement in recognizing and documenting refugees throughout the years has never faced much objection from the authorities.

On one end, the authorities are now questioning the legality of UNHCR in issuing refugee cards, but on the other, it is evident that refugee cards are instrumental for the authorities in identity verification exercises. In fact, in countries where the government undertakes the responsibility of issuing refugee cards to refugees, UNHCR does not issue such cards but merely facilitates the government.

It is regrettable that the integrity of the refugee recognition process employed by UNHCR is being put to question. As explained, the detailed process carried out by UNHCR’s officers before recognising an applicant as a refugee is in line with international law and standards, therefore such claims are unwarranted.

It is also inaccurate to assume that UNHCR Malaysia has been unco-operative with the authorities in the verification of the authenticity of refugee cards. As it appears, UNHCR has a dedicated system catering for law enforcers to verify the identity of a refugee in Malaysia. 

UNHCR appears also to have played an active role in assisting the authorities to verify such persons by visiting detention centers and being present during raids carried out by authorities. Further, UNHCR has shown its commitment in cooperation by sharing its database with the authorities.



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Moving forward

It appears that the focus should not be on the legality and the process of recognizing refugees by UNHCR but rather, the need to improve the security features of the refugee card to ensure that it cannot be easily duplicated and that its authenticity can be easily verified by UNHCR and the authorities.

While the physical card itself is of importance, the involvement of the authorities in the process of documenting refugees is all the more pertinent.

UNHCR is seen to advocate this particularly when it invited the co-operation and involvement of the authorities by urging them to issue biometric identity cards for refugees. Legally, the government appears to have an international legal obligation to recognise UNHCR and to co-operate with it in the international protection of refugees even though Malaysia is not a party to the Refugee Convention.

It is important that the authorities take cognisance of the importance of the identity card issued by UNHCR, and of UNHCR’s presence in Malaysia.

Instead of identifying UNHCR as the source of the problem, it should be agreed that the involvement of UNHCR in the recognition of refugees in the past 40 years has to a great extent alleviated the difficulties that the authorities would have otherwise faced in handling refugees.

Ultimately, the success of weeding out illegal immigrants from refugees is contingent on the co-operation between the authorities and UNHCR on the basis of a common understanding.

* Shaun Kang is a researcher in international law.

** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail Online.

- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com


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Treatment of Burma Refugees Spotlighted Ahead of Thai Rights Review

Refugees who fled Burma wait for Thai authorities to conduct a census at Mae La refugee camp, near the Thailand-Burma border in Tak province, north of Bangkok, on July 21, 2014. (Photo: Reuters)

Seven international human rights groups on Wednesday urged the Thai government to better protect the rights of refugees, asylum seekers and victims of human trafficking in the Southeast Asian country, which has for years been dogged by criticism for its handling of these populations, including many Burmese.



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A joint statement from the organizations released in Bangkok on Wednesday said the Thai government “should commit to concrete actions to respect, protect, and promote the rights of asylum seekers, refugees, and survivors of human trafficking during its upcoming Universal Periodic Review [UPR] at the United Nations Human Rights Council.”

In May, Thailand will undergo its second Universal Periodic Review—a process in which the UN Human Rights Council reviews the human rights record of member states every four years. The seven groups also published a joint submission for the review on Wednesday, recommending several of these “concrete actions,” including signing the United Nations’ 1951 Refugee Convention, relating to the Status of Refugees and their rights and legal obligations of states.

Thailand’s non-signatory status is frequently cited as one reason that refugees, asylum seekers and human trafficking victims in the country are vulnerable to arbitrary arrest, extortion, torture and forced repatriations to countries where they have often fled persecution. It also lacks domestic legislation protecting the rights of these populations, Wednesday’s statement said, referring to more than 100,000 Burmese refugees who have lived in camps along the Thai-Burma border for more than two decades.



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“Since 2011, Thailand has effectively denied at least tens of thousands of camp-based asylum seekers and refugees from Myanmar access to asylum procedures,” the statement said.

Amy Smith, executive director of the Thailand-based human rights advocacy group Fortify Rights, said in the statement: “Thailand has an opportunity to demonstrate a commitment to human rights and improve its international reputation by ensuring asylum seekers and refugees have access to legal protections.”

“A key to minimizing the abuse, exploitation, and human trafficking of displaced populations in Thailand is recognition and protection,” she added.

Julia Mayerhofer, interim executive director of the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network, said in the statement that although the Thai government has made commitments to ending the immigration detention of children, the practice continues, another blight on the country’s human rights record.

“Children should not be detained, and we urge the Thai government to actively explore alternatives to detention in partnership with civil society,” Mayerhofer said.



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The rights groups also accused Thai authorities of implementing a “push-back” policy to asylum seekers who arrive by boats.

In 2015, the plight of asylum seekers from Burma’s Rohingya Muslim minority and economic migrants from Bangladesh gained international media attention after Thai authorities pushed them out to sea, putting them at risk of death.

The other five organizations signing on to the release were Asylum Access; the Human Rights Development Foundation; the Jesuit Refugee Service; the Migrant Working Group; and the People’s Empowerment Foundation.



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Bengali Muslims posing as Rohingyas to obtain UNHCR card

An April 10, 2015 file photo of a group of ethnic Rohingya that came to Kedah illegally in hoping to seek refugee status. Bengali Muslims from Bangladesh are now trying a similar stunt by posing as Rohingyas to obtain UNHCR cards. - BERNAMApic

ALOR SETAR: More than 3,000 Bengali Muslims from Bangladesh are said to have posed as Rohingya refugees to obtain United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) cards in the past 10 years.



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According to Kedah Rohingya Society in Malaysia (RSM) chairman, Mohd Noor Abu Bakar, members of the ethnic group which lives in the neighbouring province of Chittagong in Bangladesh at the border with Myanmar have similar facial and complexion features as well as an almost similar language with ethnic Rohingyas to obtain the UNHCR card.

For the purpose (of getting the card), he claimed that the Bengali Muslims were also trained to use the Rohingya accent and were prepared for questions by UNHCR interviewers.



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They claimed they came from Maungdaw, a Rohingya area in Rakhine, Myanmar, he said.

The UNHCR card is said to be good to seek employment in Malaysia which is considered a gold mine for its stable policies and ample employment opportunities.

"They entered Rakhine and later joined Rohingyas to take boats to Malaysia.

They are not refugees," he said in an interview with Bernama yesterday.

Meanwhile, Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) International Studies Centre senior lecturer Associate Prof Dr Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani said if the allegation was true, the Rohingya Association should take immediate action to assist UNHCR identify the real Rohingyas.



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"They (Rohingya Association) should sit down with UNHCR on the matter as they know the Rohingya better," he said, adding that this was because the policy of Malaysia in accepting refugees was not a matter which could be abused as it was based on humanitarian grounds.

"Otherwise Malaysia should not open its doors to refugees taking advantage of the situation. We do not want them to bring their country's problems here," he added.



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Thai Celebrities Join UNHCR Campaign to Support Burma Refugees

Refugees who fled Burma wait for the Thai authorities to conduct a census at Mae La refugee camp, near the Thai-Burma border in Mae Sot, Tak province, on July 21, 2014. (Photo: Chaiwat Subprasom / Reuters)

CHIANG MAI, THAILAND—Well-known Thai actor Saharat “Kong” Sangkapricha and actress and model Priya “Pu” Suandokmai have joined a UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) fundraising project that highlights the plight of Burma’s displaced in Thailand.

The campaign, called “Namjai for Refugees,” aims to assist over 120,000 Burmese refugees currently living in nine camps on Thai-Burma border; “namjai” is the Thai word for “generosity.”

Iain Hall, the senior field coordinator for the UNHCR in the Thai border town of Mae Sot, told The Irrawaddy that the project is part of the UN agency’s ongoing fundraising efforts, which in this case are directed towards the Thai public.

Donations from the Namjai campaign will go toward improving and rebuilding the lives of Burmese refugees, some of whom have lived in the border camps for over 30 years since fleeing civil war and persecution in Burma.

Pu and her team visited Burmese refugees on the Thai border to better learn about their lives.

“The global refugee crisis is dominating news headlines. As Thai people, we can be part of the global response by starting to lend our support to refugees in Thailand,” actress and model Pu is quoted as saying in a UNHCR report.

In the same report, Thai singer Kong also promised to use his musical talent to work with songwriter Van to compose a song that appeals to people’s generosity and will support child refugees in particular.

“I hope that this song will inspire Thai people to extend our namjai to fellow human beings,” he said.

The project was launched earlier this year and has been endorsed by eight Thai celebrities. As part of the Namjai campaign, the UNHCR has also produced a short video about the plight of refugee children in Thailand, entitled, “The Life of Pa Thu.”