Refugees Holding UNHCR Cards Cannot Be Placed in Immigration Depots

SHAH ALAM: A total of 113 refugees who are currently under the temporary supervision of the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) are not placed in immigration detention depots because they hold United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) identification cards.

Immigration Director-General of Malaysia Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said detention depots are only for housing foreigners who do not possess valid travel documents or violate pass conditions, reported Harian Metro.

According to him, unlike refugees who hold UNHCR cards, this group is given leeway to remain in Malaysia solely on humanitarian grounds, but they are still subject to the country’s laws.

“All 113 of these refugees cannot be placed in the Immigration Department’s detention depots.

“They are now under the temporary supervision of PDRM while waiting for their placement to be finalised,” he said.

The media yesterday reported that hundreds of Rohingya ethnic individuals who had camped in front of the UNHCR office along Jalan Bukit Petaling here were moved to the State Police Headquarters (IPK) here for documentation and identity verification purposes.

The relocation operation was carried out using four police trucks, after the two trucks initially provided were insufficient. This was because most of the refugees also brought luggage and personal belongings.

The media reported that they had gathered there after being evicted by local residents in a village in Penang.

Media Selangor