UN concerned over refugees clampdown

‘Decisions by certain countries can undermine integrity of international refugee protectionist regime’

UNITED NATIONS: Responding to the ongoing clampdown in the US and other countries over the admission of foreign refugees fleeing persecution, death and displacement, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concern on Tuesday over decisions taken around the world that can undermine the integrity of the international refugee protectionist regime.

“Refugees fleeing conflict and persecution are finding more and more borders

     style="display:block"

     data-ad-client="ca-pub-3556099351069683"

     data-ad-slot="2375109235"

     data-ad-format="auto">

closed and increasingly restricted access to the protection they need and are entitled to receive, according to international refugee law,” the UN chief said in a statement.

Guterres, who is returning to New York from a visit to Ethiopia, cited in the statement released by his office before his arrival, the case of the African country which has become the largest refugee hosting nation in Africa, and said that

Ethiopia “for decades has been keeping its borders open to hundreds of thousands of refugees from its neighbours, many times in dramatic security situations”.

While emphasising that countries have the right and the obligation to responsibly manage their borders to avoid infiltration by members of terrorist organisations, Guterres observed that this could not be based on any form of discrimination related to religion, ethnicity or nationality, noting that doing so “is against the fundamental principles and values on which our societies are based”.

Guterres also cautioned that such attempts could “trigger widespread anxiety and anger that may facilitate the propaganda of the very terrorist organisations “we all want to fight against” and that “blind measures, not based on solid intelligence, tend to be ineffective as they risk being

bypassed by what are today sophisticated global terrorist movements”.

During a routine press briefing at the UN headquarters in New York, spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric stated that Guterres was on his way back to New York from the African Union Summit in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, and he had had the opportunity to express his disagreement with the United States Executive Order on refugees.

Guterres’ statement follows President Donald Trump’s signing last Friday of an Executive Order which, among other things, suspended the US refugee programme for 120 days and also bars entry of refugees from seven – mostly Muslim – countries namely Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan,

Syria and Yemen until further notice.

     style="display:block"

     data-ad-client="ca-pub-3556099351069683"

     data-ad-slot="4231788833"

     data-ad-format="auto">

Guterres’ remarks are also seen as lending weight to the “deep concern” already expressed by the UN Refugee Agency over the uncertainty facing thousands of refugees in the resettlement process in the United States after the country announced it was suspending refugee programmes last week.

The office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in a statement that more than 800 refugees were set to make America their new home this week alone, but were instead blocked from travelling to the US. — Bernama

UNHCR welcomes Thailand’s approval of framework for refugee screening mechanism

The UN Refugee Agency Monday expressed a warm welcome for the Thai Government’s recent approval of a framework to enhance the identification and protection of refugees.


Last Tuesday, the Cabinet approved in principle a proposal to finalise and implement a screening mechanism for undocumented immigrants and refugees.

Following the approval, a deputy government spokesman the process will be led by the Immigration Bureau of the Royal Thai Police, working with a newly-created inter-ministerial committee chaired by the Prime Minister or his deputy.

     style="display:block"
     data-ad-client="ca-pub-3556099351069683"
     data-ad-slot="2755055637"
     data-ad-format="auto">


Together they will build on an existing draft by the Council of State and finalize a detailed draft Regulation to be presented for approval by the Cabinet. He added that this would be done in collaboration and cooperation with foreign governments or foreign government agencies, international organizations and relevant non-governmental organizations.

UNHCR said in a press statement Monday that it has long been advocating for such a screening mechanism in a country that has hosted more than 1 million refugees over the years without a comprehensive legal framework. Under Thailand’s current Immigration Act, urban refugees and asylum-seekers can be considered “illegal aliens” and are subject to arrest and detention if they do not have valid documentation.

“This Cabinet action represents an important and concrete step towards creating an appropriate regulatory framework for refugee management and protection in Thailand,” the statement quoted Ruvendrini Menikdiwela, UNHCR’s Representative in Thailand, as saying. “We hope it will clearly establish the criteria and methodology for deciding who is and isn’t a refugee, and outline their rights and obligations in Thailand.”

     style="display:block"
     data-ad-client="ca-pub-3556099351069683"
     data-ad-slot="4231788833"
     data-ad-format="auto">


Last week’s announcement builds upon specific pledges designed to improve protection and solutions for refugees in Thailand made by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha at the September 2016 UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants, and the Leaders’ Summit on Refugees convened by US President Barack Obama in New York.

“With more than 65 million people forcibly displaced globally, it is crucial that States and international actors work hand in hand to respond to growing humanitarian needs,” said Menikdiwela. “It is heart-warming to see Thailand acting upon pledges made in New York, and once again taking a leadership role in the ASEAN region in addressing complex issues related to refugees and stateless persons.”

UNHCR continues to offer technical and other assistance in full support of finalizing and implementing an appropriate regulatory framework for refugee management and protection in Thailand, the statement added.

     style="display:block"
     data-ad-client="ca-pub-3556099351069683"
     data-ad-slot="8801589231"
     data-ad-format="auto">


The country currently hosts nearly 8,000 refugees and asylum-seekers in urban areas and more than 102,000 Myanmar refugees in nine camps on the border with Myanmar.

Health department offers clinic for refugees

By AARON MUDD amudd@bgdailynews.com





A small boy wailed as a nurse from the Warren County Health Department administered a shot Tuesday at the International Center of Kentucky, then was soothed by others in the room and a toy.


Following news that a huge volume of refugees were expected to arrive in Bowling Green in September, the Warren County Health Department provided an on-site clinic at the center offering refugees vaccinations, tuberculosis screening and blood drawing – procedures a refugee would need for a green card or to enroll in school.

Lana McChesney, a registered nurse at the health department, said staff overcame language barriers with the help of translators for the refugees, most of whom were Burmese. The clinic was an extension of the health department’s regular services.

“It’s been easy to overcome,” she said. “They’re very appreciative of what we’re providing them.”


Case manager Elda Chavez said about 42 refugees attended, along with another 40 at a similar event last week. The advantage of having a clinic at the center, she said, allows refugees to learn how the health department works while in their comfort zone and prepares them to be self-sufficient in the future.


“It’s something that minimizes the stress I believe,” she said.

Ben Shing Lin, a case manager at the center, lent his skills as a translator and helped prepare documents. Burmese refugees, Shing Lin said, undergo a big shift after moving to Bowling Green from rural areas in Burma.


Shing Lin came to America as a Burmese refugee in May 2013. He said people don’t understand refugees and often think they are in the country illegally.


“Personally I want to encourage the Bowling Green community to learn more about refugees,” he said. “We are here legally.”

Shing Lin translated for Sea Mary, a Burmese refugee who came from a refugee camp in Thailand. She’s been in the U.S. for more than one month.


“I feel comfortable living here,” Shing Lin translated.


Her biggest challenge is communicating with others.


“I find a lot of difficulties to communicate,” she said.


“I feel more comfortable here compared to living in Thailand,” she said, adding that there wasn’t enough food and supplies in the camp and that refugees are not allowed to work.


As for her children, she said, she wants them to be educated and understand their rights so they can live a better life in a safe place.


“I just want a happy life here, and I want my children to be educated in the future,” she said.

Refugees From Burma’s Chin State Face Indian Dilemma

A young refugee from Burma’s ethnic Chin minority holds a placard during a protest rally to mark World Refugee Day in New Delhi on June 20, 2011. (Photo: Reuters / Parivartan Sharma)

Expatriate refugees from the poverty-stricken nation of Burma have begun filtering back, partly as their country of origin has democratized and more ominously because they are feeling the heat from host countries like Thailand, India, Bangladesh and Malaysia to leave.

But so far, the Chin, an impoverished Christian minority that has been likened to the persecuted Rohingya, who have been set upon by majority Buddhists unmercifully, have yet to join the exodus. About 100,000 thousand of them are just across the border in India’s Mizoram State, where they fled in the wake of 1998 riots. Chin State, on the country’s southwestern flank, is one of Burma’s poorest. Nearly 75 percent of its 500,000 population live mired in poverty, deprived of support from the successive Burmese regimes in Rangoon or the new administrative capital of Naypyidaw.

Initially the refugees were either political activists or student leaders who were targeted by the then military rulers. But even with a quasi-democratic regime in Naypyidaw, the influx to India continues, with people entering India not to escape dictators or authority, but for a better life.

In some cases the Burmese Army may have already confiscated their lands and destroyed their properties. Finding difficulties in surviving inside India as well, the Burmese refugees are now seeking resettlement to a third country.

The majority of the Chin complain about discrimination from the Buddhist-dominated federal government. The 1988 movement against the then military rulers of Burma was crushed, leaving thousands dead across the country.

“Like other ethnic communities in Myanmar, the Chin people bore the brunt of severe poverty and military rule, prompting many to flee across the 1,463-km border into India’s Mizoram State,” according to a 2011 report by Physicians for Human Rights.

The refugees feel somewhat comfortable in Mizoram as it is one of the India’s few Christian-dominated states. The Chin and Mizo people, share ancestry, physical appearance, food habits and language accents. In some occasions, the highly influential churches also play an important role in propagating the sense of brotherhood between the two communities. Nonetheless, asylum seekers often face the problem of finding livelihoods. Mostly they work as cheap daily wage earners in construction sites, agriculture fields, market areas and also in local Mizo households.

“Our people frequently face rights violations here [Mizoram] even though they are reluctant to go back to their native places in Burma. We are actually afraid the situation in Chin State is yet to be favorable us,” said Pu Win, a Chin activist based in the frontier town of Saiha in Mizoram. The activist added that the Chin are worried about medical care and education for their children. So ignoring the troubles in Mizoram, most of the Chin refugees prefer to stay in India until their country develops a little more, he added.

Unlike those in Mizoram, Burmese asylum seekers in Delhi face more trouble as they are physically different, as is their culture, religion and language. As they are not comfortable in Hindi, the primary language, the refugees find it extremely difficult to communicate with their short-time employers and authorities.

India’s national capital gives shelter to over 8,000 registered Burmese refugees, but New Delhi is also home to another 10,000 asylum seekers, half of them women and children who have to travel over 2,200 kms from Mizoram to Delhi to enroll with the office of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

India, which supports a few hundred thousand refugees from Tibet, Burma, Sri Lanka etc., has yet to adopt a specific refugee protection policy, resulting in persistent confusion about the refugees and their legitimate rights. Moreover, India is not a signatory to the 1951 UN refugee convention or a 1967 refugee status protocol.

“As there is no procedural mechanism for protecting the refugees in India, the Burmese refugee women have to struggle for their basic necessities such as food, clothing and shelter in New Delhi,” said M Kim, a Burmese exile based in New Delhi. “In addition to this, they battle with the constant fear of sexual assault and physical abuse.”

Quoting a report titled Doke Kha Bon with the accounts of 20 Chin women refugees in New Delhi, which was sponsored by the Burma Center Delhi and released recently, Kim asserted that the capital city remains universally unsafe for asylum seekers.

According to the UNHCR office in New Delhi, persecution due to minority ethnic race, religion and political opinion are cited as the main reasons for their seeking asylum in neighboring countries. “The most frequent complaints reported to UNHCR include difficulty in communicating with local health and education service providers,” said the BCD-sponsored report.

Prepared by the Pann Nu Foundation, the report includes case studies relating to Chin refugee women now living in west Delhi.

“Those women, many of them widows and single mothers, have bared their hearts during the interaction. In fact, every woman has a pathetic story to tell. Originally hailing from some remote areas of Chin, the refugee families were once dependent on Jhum [shifting] cultivation. But due to land confiscation practices adopted by the Burmese Army, the Chin villagers gradually lost their livelihood and left for India,” said Alana Golmei, founder and president of the Pann Nu Foundation.

Often the women and girls were compelled to serve the Burmese military as porters and laborers, made to serve food, and camp in the jungle with no proper shelter, without even knowing when they could return home.

“Needless to say, they all lack proper education. The interviewees can only read and write in their local Chin dialect. All these women, who are Christians, had no respite from the Buddhist dominated military personnel, who even barge into their houses and demand food time to time,” Golmei said. “They said the continued sexual assault by the Burmese soldiers is their worst nightmare there.”

But their lives in New Delhi are turning into another nightmare.

“They allege that they become victims of physical abuse, molestation, sexual assault and discrimination everywhere they go, be it at their rented apartments, workplaces, public spaces or even the roads for that matter,” Golmei said, adding that they keep mum about sexual assaults due to the fear of social stigmatization and shame.

Now voices have been raised for reviewing the existing foreign policy of the Indian government, taking into consideration the Burmese refugee women and children in the country. Understanding that the refugee women are more vulnerable and are easy targets, the activists appealed to New Delhi to continue supporting the asylum seekers.

“The new difficulty for the Burmese refugees has started with the news of democratization of Burma. Now most conscious people of India argue that the refugees should leave the country, as India has enough problems to deal with,” said Dr. Tint Swe, a physician and an exile in India for decades.

Tint Swe however admitted that Indian people in general remain merciful. Of course they are lately starting to believe that if Burma becomes comfortable and safer, they should leave.

“But the question arises here if the changes in Burma have prepared the ground for returning the refugees. In reality it has not. So we have urged the Indian government to review its existing foreign policy with an aim to continue safeguarding the refugees here for some more years,” he added.

Following the call from Burma President Thein Sein’s government to exiles taking shelter in different countries to return, many refugee families have already responded and have left India. Others, however, remain apprehensive about their future. In some cases it is understood that the Burmese Army might have already confiscated their lands and destroyed their properties. Finding difficulties in surviving inside India as well, the Burmese refugees are now seeking resettlement in a third country for a dignified life.

Burmese refugee trades monsoon rains for snow and freedom

Mi Mi Thaung, a 41-year-old refugee from Burma, now called Myanmar, came to Canada in 1996 after she married a fellow refugee from her homeland. In 1978, her father, a doctor, had been put in jail for alleged revolutionary activity for three months. Upon his release, the family fled to Thailand. Her father worked as a surgeon on the border of Thailand and Burma, helping his fellow exiles. The rest of the family settled nearby.

In 1985, her mother sought asylum in the United States, joining a cousin in New York. She then sponsored her two children and husband to come to the United States in 1993. Once in the U.S., Mi Mi went to college. But something was pulling her heart north — a relationship with a fellow refugee, Saw Moo, a student revolutionary in the 1988 uprising in Burma, whom she had met at a refugee camp. Moo came to Canada in 1993. He studied landscaping and horticulture at Algonquin College in Ottawa. The couple eventually settled in Toronto in 1998.

What were your thoughts about coming to Canada?

I love the education here. In Canada the best one is health care. The second one is human rights. The third one is education.

Did you find it difficult living in Toronto?

As soon as I stepped my feet on Canadian land it was: “I’m coming home.” When I step my feet in to Canada I’m coming home. It’s already my home. I just left for a second and then I come back home. It’s like someone open arms and hugs us with warmness and love.

You mentioned political freedom that we have here is important to you. Can you explain that?

I can talk freely (here). In Thailand I cannot say my dad is helping people in the jungle. We’re stateless and we escaped from Burma. I can’t tell my story. We cannot say that freely. And you never know who will inform the officials. Oh you’re illegal in Thailand. Even in Burma, you cannot come and talk to me and interview me like this. You have to go hide somewhere and do the interview. You can’t do it openly.

What did you think of Toronto when you first saw it?

It’s a beautiful city, big city. One problem it was hard to find an apartment. Then we rent only a little room a bachelor room, my son was 2. That room was $600. Near Queen and Ossington area. . . . One thing I like everything is convenient. You want food from our country, Chinese food, Japanese food, everything you can find here.

What was your reaction to a Canadian winter?

Actually I love the winter. One thing for me it’s calm, clean, especially when it’s a snow day it’s so beautiful . . . everything looks like it’s peaceful. I think we come from a country with a lot of problems when I see the snow come down it’s peaceful; it’s not like rain. We grew up in a country with monsoon rain and the rain comes down and it’s boom, boom, boom, boom. But here (the snow is) just like after the wedding when people throw confetti. The snowflakes are just like flower petals falling down from the sky.

What advice did you give other members of the Karen community about integrating into Toronto? Other immigrants or refugees?

First for me was education — English. Even the older people I encouraged (them) to go to school try to learn one word a day. First, yes or no. Second, good morning, thank you. Try to remember one word a day. . . . You have to stand up by yourself. The second thing is work.”

US ends Myanmar refugee programme

The United States has wound up a special resettlement programme for Myanmar refugees in camps on the Thai-Myanmar border, the United Nations said Wednesday.

The last candidates for the US "group resettlement programme" were accepted on Jan 24, marking the end of the 9-year scheme.

The US initiated it in 2005 to ''accept as many Myanmar refugees as possible under simplified procedures'', said Vivian Tan, information officer for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Bangkok.

''Since 2005, the United States has welcomed more than 73,000 Burmese who have resettled in towns and cities across the United States,'' said assistant secretary Anne Richard of the US Department of State's Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration.

There are still an estimated 120,000 Myanmar refugees in the nine camps in Thailand, including about 40,000 who were not registered by the Thai authorities.

The remainder either did not apply for resettlement in the US or did not qualify as they were among the non-registered refugees, Ms Tan said.

Most of the refugees living in the border camps in Tak province are members of the Karen ethnic minority group. They fled to Thailand more than two decades ago to avoid a Myanmar military offensive in the Karen State.

''The end of this chapter does not mean that resettlement is closed completely,'' said Mireille Girard, UNHCR's representative in Thailand. ''UNHCR will continue to identify and submit refugees with specific protection needs on an individual basis to various countries.''

Another 19,000 Myanmar refugees from the Thai camps have been resettled in other countries including Australia, Canada, Finland and Japan in the last nine years, UNHCR said.

Myanmar has seen positive political developments since elected President Thein Sein came to power in March 2011, but the UNHCR has expressed concerns about security problems in the Karen State for returnees.

US wraps up group resettlement for Myanmar refugees in Thailand

Any views expressed in this article are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.

MAE SARIANG, Thailand, January 29 (UNHCR) - One of the world's largest resettlement programmes recently came to an end in Thailand when UNHCR received the final expressions of interest from eligible Myanmar refugees who wish to start a new life in the United States.

The group resettlement programme was initiated in 2005, with the support of the Thai and US governments, to offer a durable solution to the tens of thousands of refugees from Myanmar who found themselves in a protracted refugee situation and dependent on international assistance in the nine camps along the Thai-Myanmar border.

Anne C. Richard, assistant secretary at the US State Department's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, said that her country had welcomed and settled more than 73,000 refugees from Myanmar since 2005. "The United States is proud to have given a new start to these refugees. Resettled Burmese refugees have thrived in their new homes, and enriched their new communities. Many have become homeowners, small business owners and American citizens," she said.

"We expect several more thousand to arrive in the coming year as the programme winds down," she added. "This successful resettlement programme has reached its natural conclusion following the January 24, 2014 deadline for Burmese refugees to express their interest in resettlement to UNHCR."

The programme's pending closure was first announced and implemented in January last year in Mae La camp. It was subsequently rolled out to the other camps in different stages. Eligible refugees in each camp were given three months to decide whether or not to apply for resettlement to the US under the simplified procedures.

The process ended last Friday as the deadline for applications passed in the last three camps in Mae Hong Son province, namely Mae La Oon, Mae Ra Ma Ruang and Ban Mae Surin.

Over the past year, nearly 6,500 Myanmar refugees on the Thai-Myanmar border have expressed interest in the US group resettlement programme - 2,500 more individuals than in 2012, an indication that many refugees had been waiting for the last chance before making a final decision to resettle or not.

Tun Myin, a 30-year-old father of three in Mae La Oon camp, was among the last refugees to express his interest last week. "We were waiting to see what people would do," he said. "Now all of my siblings are resettling, we don't want to stay behind by ourselves in the camp."

Keeping the family together was an important consideration for many. "Our parents have recently applied for the US and the children don't want to separate from their grandparents," said Aung Mya Khe, 39, also from Mae la Oon camp. Such decisions are never simple, and he is worried that his children may forget their Karen culture in the long run.

Access to higher education was another key factor in the decision to resettle. "Life for our children will be much improved in the US. In the camp they cannot progress beyond Grade 10 in school, and they cannot go to university in Thailand," said Thein Than Aye, a teacher and pastor in Mae Ra Ma Luang camp.

Tun Myin agreed, "There will be educational opportunities for my children and my wife in the US. I will do whatever job I am able to do."

UNHCR is working closely with the International Rescue Committee's Resettlement Support Centre and the International Organization for Migration to conduct resettlement processing until all applications have been reviewed and the approved cases are helped to depart Thailand.

In addition to the US departures, some 19,000 Myanmar refugees in Thailand have gone to other resettlement countries, including Australia, Canada, Finland and Japan, in the last nine years. "The end of this chapter does not mean that resettlement is closed completely," said Mireille Girard, UNHCR's representative in Thailand. "UNHCR will continue to identify and submit refugees with specific protection needs on an individual basis to various countries. We are also working with the Thai government and resettlement countries to reunite families and make sure family members can be resettled together."

There are an estimated 120,000 Myanmar refugees remaining in the nine camps in Thailand, including more than 40,000 not registered by the Thai authorities.

The UN refugee agency has been working for years to secure a range of options and solutions for the refugees. It is conducting surveys in the camps to get a clearer profile of the registered and unregistered refugees, and to better understand their post-camp plans.

In the past two years, positive developments in south-eastern Myanmar have raised expectations that the refugees may be able to return home in the not too distant future. While UNHCR believes that conditions are not yet conducive for organized returns to take place at this moment, the agency is working with partners to prepare for this eventuality for those refugees who will decide to repatriate to Myanmar.

By Vivian Tan in Bangkok and Max McClellan in Mae Sariang, Thailand

68,000 undocumented migrants detained in 10 detention depots nationwide as at 6/1/2014?

Govt urged to overcome shortage of legal workers before roping in illegals

 By Alyaa Alhadjri

PETALING JAYA: The Master Builders Association of Malaysia (MBAM) wants the government to address issues surrounding limited supply of legal workers before embarking on yet another crackdown against undocumented migrants in the country.

MBAM president Matthew Tee told theantdaily that while the association did not condone the practice of hiring undocumented migrants to work in construction sites, there were often “not enough” legal workers available to complete a project within a stipulated deadline.

“The government should understand the reasons behind the high demands for illegal workers.

“MBAM has consistently requested for the workers’ recruitment process to be simplified as delays would ultimately affect implementation of an ongoing (construction) project,” Tee said.

He was responding to the Home Ministry’s large-scale operation against undocumented migrants beginning Jan 21, after the end of a “grace period” given to both workers and their employers.

Tee also noted that the process to hire a legal foreign worker could take up to eight months, involving dealings with multiple government ministries and agencies fraught with red-tape.

“There was a time in the 90s when the government issued MBAM with a one-off quota system to bring in foreign workers in light of a similar crackdown on undocumented migrants. Some of the construction sites (at the time) were grounded,” Tee recalled.

However, in a Bernama report on Aug 5 last year Immigration director-general Datuk Alias Ahmad was quoted as saying that the lead time to process visas and permits for foreign workers in the construction industry is 14 days and not eight months as claimed by MBAM.

Tee also urged the authorities to provide clear guidelines on future raids at construction sites as MBAM members, representing almost 90% of construction companies listed on Bursa Malaysia, were “seriously affected” in the past.

“Whenever there is news of raids, most of the workers, whether legal or illegal, will flee the work sites to avoid arrest.

“It is our (MBAM) understanding that all the workers, including the legal ones, will be detained unless they can prove that they have proper documentation,” Tee said, addingthere were instances where legitimate immigration papers of foreign workers were not accepted by enforcement personnel due to lack of coordination between the agencies concerned.

Tee said it was “common procedure” for employers to keep their workers' documents in the office instead of taking them to the construction sites.

“MBAM urges the authorities to be consistent in their procedure when conducting such raids. Don't just take our workers away,” he stressed.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had also reportedly said all 2.3 million foreign workers in 10 recognised sectors were required to apply for the new I-Kad identification document by the end of this year.

Zahid said the colour-coded I-Kad, which will cost a worker or his employer RM110, will be fitted with high-tech security features such as biometric fingerprint and Nexcode mobile data security. It will be issued in stages according to sectors.

Tee, in response to Zahid, urged the government to consider charging lower fees for the I-Kad as employers were already paying levies and other processing fees.

“As we all know, the construction industry can be quite labour-intensive, which means that if an employer employs 1,000 foreign workers, he has to pay an additional RM110,000 for these I- cards,” Tee said.

Meanwhile, the crackdown is also expected to once again highlight various human rights issues pertaining to the government’s treatment of undocumented migrants.

These issues include overcrowding and poor facilities in detention depots, Malaysia’s non-recognition of refugee status, high-handed action by the authorities involved in raids as well as a perceived bias towards protecting the interests of third-party agents involved in the recruitment process.

Deputy Home Minister Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar had on Jan 6 reportedly said there weresome 68,000 undocumented migrants detained in 10 detention depots nationwide at a daily cost of RM35 per person for food and administrative matters.

This translates to a total cost of RM2.38 million a day, RM71.4 million a month and an average of RM8.56 billion a year, notwithstanding medical expenses which Wan Junaidi said could raise the cost to RM75 per person. - The Ant Daily, 21/1/2014, Govt urged to overcome shortage of legal workers before roping in illegals

Posted by Charles Hector

Let bosses hire foreign workers directly

By Alyaa Alhadjri

KUALA LUMPUR: Eradicating middlemen companies involved in the recruitment of labour would result in a "win-win situation" for both prospective employers and their workers, labour activist Charles Hector said.

Hector told theantdaily that amendments made to the Employment Act 1955 have effectively changed the relationship between workers and their principal employers by recognising the role of outsourcing recruitment agencies as "contractor for labour". 

A Cabinet Committee on Foreign Workers in its meeting on July 5, 2005 had, according to a joint statement signed by 90 trade unions and labour associations last year, agreed to the recruitment of foreign workers through outsourcing companies (now known as 'Contractor for Labour' in the amended Act).

Hector said this move effectively recognised such third-party companies to be legal employers for the workers, despite the fact that they are actually working for another principal “employer” in various sectors. 

He was commenting on the government's decision to do away with "corruption by proxy" as announced by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Paul Low on Sept 23.

"There is nothing wrong with having commission agents who provide a genuine service that adds value to a transaction but middlemen who do not add value to a transaction will only add unnecessary costs to doing business," Low reportedly said. 

The joint statement, which was submitted to the government in protest of amendments to the Act, also stated that these outsourcing companies recruited local and migrant workers on fixed-term contracts under terms and conditions usually less favourable than that of workers directly employed by principal companies.

Hector feels that reverting to the original system of direct employment of workers by the principal company will be beneficial to both parties. 

"Employers will have direct control on the recruitment of workers who meet the needs of their companies.

"Workers will also have the assurance of knowing who their prospective employers are before leaving for work in another country," said Hector who cited the process of recruiting foreign workers as an example.

He added that such a move will also help to reduce various costs involved in the recruitment process, a larger sum of which is paid to the third-party companies for their services. 

Labour lawyer A Sivanesan, meanwhile, said resistance against middlemen companies in the labour recruitment process was centred on the fact that workers are often shortchanged of their rights to benefits offered by the principal company. 

This, he said, includes the right to be a member of trade unions and assurance of compensation in the event of any workplace accidents. 

"It is not a legal offence [for third-party companies] to charge for services which they can offer," he said, adding that the government must also have policies in place to absorb the impact of changes made as a result of cutting out middlemen from the operational chain.

Sivanesan, who is Sungkai state assemblyman, cited the plight of farmers in his constituency who were initially awarded with a Temporary Occupational Licence (TOL) for their lands.

"They have been farming on the land for the past 50 years before the TOL was reviewed and awarded to a state-controlled body. 

"This development body subsequently leased the land to another third party who then went on to negotiate with the farmers who had no choice but to agree with stipulated terms," he said.

Sivanesan pointed out that such cases can be resolved by improving the functions of government agencies involved in developing land for farming and helping the farmers market their produce, instead of relying on a third party. 

While the government's decision to cut out "irrelevant" middlemen from the various sectors is laudable, implementation of such a move will require commitment and political will to withstand resistance from parties who may suddenly find their pockets running dry. - The Ant Daily, 29/9/2013, Let bosses hire foreign workers directly

Posted by Charles Hector at 12:55 AM

Migrant Care Condemns Indonesian Workers Shooting in Malaysia

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - An Indonesian non-profit organization named Migrant Care condemned shooting of three Indonesian migrant workers from East Nusa Tenggara in Malaysia in January 11. It has urged the government to take diplomatic steps such as sending protest note to the Malaysian government, downgrading diplomatic relations by withdrawing ambassador of Indonesia for Malaysia and declaring persona non grata upon ambassador of Malaysia for Indonesia, and urging the government to fulfill the rights of the victims and their family.

"And also to take investigative steps, as well as to solve this case through legal proceeding," Migrant Care Executive Director, Anis Hidayah, said in a written statement received by Tempo on Monday, January 20, 2014.

Migrant Care also urged the Malaysian government to immediately take responsibility of the shooting and investigate this case as well as other unsolved cases of shootings by the Royal Malaysia Police. "The Malaysian government must stop the killing of Indonesian migrant workers," Anis said.

Anis also urged other institutions to investigate this case. "We urged the National Commission of Human Rights, Suhakam Malaysia, and the House of Representatives to take investigative steps on this case," Anis said.

Three Indonesian migrant workers were shot dead by the Royal Malaysian Police in January 11. The victims are Wahab, 30, Sudarsono, 30, and Gusti Randa, 35. According to Consuler Chief of Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Johor Baru Malaysia, Sri Nirmala, the three migrant workers were shot dead after fighting the police when they were inspecting illegal migrant workers.

RIZKI PUSPITA SARI - Tempo.Com, 20/1/2014, Migrant Care Condemns Indonesian Workers Shooting in Malaysia

LEGO Foundation donates US$3 million to build a future for refugee children

Any views expressed in this article are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.

LONDON, United Kingdom, January 24 (UNHCR) - The UN refugee agency on Friday welcomed a US$3 million donation from the LEGO Foundation that will help improve access to quality primary school education for more than 200,000 refugee children under the Educate a Child initiative.

The donation will fund UNHCR education programmes in Chad, Ethiopia, Iran, Kenya, Malaysia, Pakistan, Rwanda, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Uganda and Yemen. These 12 countries have some of the largest refugee populations in the world and a primary school age population of more than 1.25 million children, with as many as 50 per cent out of school.

"The support of the LEGO Foundation, which shares a commitment to childhood learning and development, is a tremendous asset for UNHCR's education programme. The generous donation of funding, product and expertise will help us in our work to give refugee children access to the best possible education in some of the most challenging situations," said Amanda Seller, who heads UNHCR's private sector fund-raising section.

The LEGO Foundation will also tap into other areas of its business to support UNHCR by providing training for staff that draws on aspects of its education research programme, and aims to foster rich and motivating learning environments for children.

UNHCR will apply these learnings for refugee children in some of the most challenging humanitarian settings. The Foundation will also donate LEGO products to refugee children to enhance their play and learning. Over the years, LEGO has donated thousands of play boxes to UNHCR for forcibly displaced children across Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

Michael Renvillard, director of programmes and partnerships at the LEGO Foundation, said he regarded children as role models. "They are natural learners - curious, creative and imaginative. We know that play has a transformational role in learning across our lifespan and that it should be embraced, nurtured and stimulated. Supporting the Educate A Child programme through UNHCR, we hope to contribute to an improved quality of education"

Ensuring access to quality education for refugee children, keeping them in school and improving their learning achievement is a priority for UNHCR. Research shows that 40 per cent of all refugee children, more than 1 million, are not able to access school of any kind. Displacement means that these children can miss out on months or years of schooling and are denied opportunities to gain essential skills for their cognitive, social and emotional development.

Educate a Child