True number of refugees in Malaysia exceeds UNHCR figures, says immigration DG
Zakaria Shaaban says the authorities no longer fully rely on the agency’s data as they believe many more refugees remain unregistered
Immigration director-general Zakaria Shaaban said the first phase of the government’s refugee registration exercise will continue until the end of the year.
PORT DICKSON: The true number of refugees in Malaysia is much higher than the 215,600 refugees and asylum-seekers recorded by UNHCR, immigration director-general Zakaria Shaaban said today.
He said the authorities no longer fully rely on UNHCR data because they believe many more refugees remain unregistered with the agency.
“As such, we are working to register all refugees in the country, whether they have UNHCR cards or not,” Kosmo reported him as saying here.
Zakaria said the first phase of the refugee registration exercise, managed by the government through the National Security Council, would continue until the end of the year.
According to the UNHCR website, there were some 215,600 refugees and asylum-seekers registered with UNHCR in Malaysia as of the end of February.
Around 193,824 are from Myanmar, including 126,144 Rohingya.
The rest are from countries such as Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, Afghanistan, Syria, Sri Lanka, Palestine, and Iraq.
He said the authorities no longer fully rely on UNHCR data because they believe many more refugees remain unregistered with the agency.
“As such, we are working to register all refugees in the country, whether they have UNHCR cards or not,” Kosmo reported him as saying here.
Zakaria said the first phase of the refugee registration exercise, managed by the government through the National Security Council, would continue until the end of the year.
According to the UNHCR website, there were some 215,600 refugees and asylum-seekers registered with UNHCR in Malaysia as of the end of February.
Around 193,824 are from Myanmar, including 126,144 Rohingya.
The rest are from countries such as Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, Afghanistan, Syria, Sri Lanka, Palestine, and Iraq.
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