Asylum Access Malaysia (AAM) welcomes the government’s commitment to building a national refugee registration system (DPP) .
However, we are concerned about the protection risks posed by the government’s announcement to temporarily suspend the UN refugee agency’s refugee registration processes.
UNHCR registration is the foundational safeguard against arrest, detention and refoulement in Malaysia. It is the sole document facilitating limited access to essential services, healthcare and protection before the law.
The DPP is not yet available outside detention centres, and no information on timeline, eligibility or procedures has been made public.
Any suspension of UNHCR registration, however temporary, risks leaving asylum seekers entirely undocumented and exposed, particularly as immigration enforcement continues unabated.
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AAM is further gravely concerned about the proposed return of 5,000 Myanmar nationals currently held in detention centres. It is unclear what assessment, if any, preceded this decision.
In the light of reports of ongoing and widely documented egregious human rights violations in Myanmar, Malaysia risks returning many of these vulnerable individuals to grave harm, including torture and death.
We urge the government to:
- Develop a joint transition plan with the UNHCR, so that registration continuity is maintained while the DPP is operationalised, rather than suspending the only existing pathway
- Ensure no immigration action is taken against those awaiting registration
- Establish clear interim protection measures for the duration of the suspension
- Provide full transparency on the assessment process for those facing return, ensuring that no individual is forcibly returned until protection needs are fully and fairly assessed
AAM remains committed to working with the government, the UNHCR and civil society towards a system that honours Malaysia’s human rights obligations and protects vulnerable communities from harm.
We believe Malaysia has a genuine opportunity here to lead by example in how the region responds to forced displacement.
True leadership is measured not only by how a nation protects its own people, but also by how it responds to those who seek safety in times of greatest need. – AAM
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