KUALA LUMPUR, June 20 — It is time for us to discuss the changing landscape surrounding refugee rights and protection worldwide and Malaysia’s potential to be a leading nation in this landscape. Earlier this year, the UN Refugee Agency proclaimed that severe funding cuts at the agency are putting refugees at increased risk for harm and danger.
The United States, previously a beacon of hope for refugees worldwide, has suspended its Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) under President Donald Trump’s second reign, which began in January of this year. This programme – the largest refugee resettlement programme in the world – was the main funnel through which refugees in Malaysia could gain permanent resettlement. This leaves us with the question: so what now?
Malaysia’s informality has been a blessing to the approximately 190,000 refugees and asylum-seekers in the country. Though they are incorrectly and unfairly lumped with “illegal migrants”, and though their rights are limited, refugees do have mobility across geographical areas in the country and are not confined to refugee camps, and they can access paid opportunities in the grey economy. The fact is that all working refugees in Malaysia contribute to the Malaysian economy as hidden (and typically exploited) labour.
These are the important facets of refugee life here that are good, but there are negative sides to the coin: fear and danger of arrests, no access to affordable healthcare or education, and the constant feeling of impermanence and lack of legal status – belonging neither here nor there. This impermanence, however, is vanishing into a state of “fixedness”.
Despite being a non-signatory of the 1951 Refugee Convention, Malaysia has allowed refugees in on humanitarian grounds. Although Malaysia’s stance has always been that we are an intermediate host country, this is no longer accurate. The reality is that for the past 20 years, only 7.1 per cent of refugees registered with the UN Refugee Agency in Malaysia were resettled abroad. Out of those resettled in 2024, UN data show that 76.3 per cent went to the United States. With this door now closed, resettlement out of Malaysia is increasingly unrealistic as a “durable solution”.
The presence and permanency of refugee communities can no longer be ignored without severe consequences – not only for individual refugees, but also for the coherence and continued prosperity of Malaysian society. Keeping a growing population estranged and increasingly hopeless on the fringes of society is unjust and unsustainable, and there is much to gain from improving long-term inclusion opportunities.
President Trump’s severe funding cuts for international bodies, including the UN Refugee Agency, present another challenge to the status quo for Malaysia and its refugee community. These cuts have led to significant downsizing and underfunding of existing programmes, including efforts to support the Malaysian government in formulating and implementing a comprehensive policy framework for refugee reception and support. So how can Malaysia move forward?
The humanitarian sector has been roiled by funding reductions from major donors, led by the US under President Donald Trump, and other Western countries as they prioritise defence spending prompted by growing fears of Russia and China. — Reuters pic
In this piece, we will suggest three steps that Malaysia can implement within existing laws and policies. We want to emphasise that the discussion on whether or not to ratify international conventions should not stand in the way of practically providing a dignified life for those under our care.
Based on extensive research among refugee communities in Malaysia, we suggest the following three steps to improve the quality of life for the refugees who are already here and have nowhere else to go:
- First, increase the inclusion of refugees and other undocumented populations in lawful employment. Legislation is already available in the IMM13 Visit Pass and work permit system and the National Security Council (NSC) Directive No. 23 – all that is needed is coherent implementation. This will increase living standards for a significant part of the Malaysian population, reduce exploitation, and broaden the state’s tax base. In 2019, an IDEAS study estimated that, if granted the right to work, refugees could contribute around RM3 billion to Malaysia’s annual GDP by 2024. Additionally, including refugees in the formal workforce will help reduce labour shortages in sectors like agriculture, construction, and caregiving.
- Second, invest in access to education and healthcare for refugees and their children. This is an important step for Malaysia to take to ensure adherence to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), both signed by Malaysia in 1995. Additionally, it will ensure that the next generation of refugees will grow up able and willing to contribute to Malaysian society. Programmes already exist in Malaysia for the most underprivileged children to go to school; these can be extended to include refugee children.
- Third, expand partnerships with community-based organisations (CBOs), NGOs, and international organisations to meet refugees’ needs for support. This includes efforts to secure increased international funding for CBOs and NGOs that work with refugee support and rights in Malaysia. As American funding for UNHCR and other international bodies is reduced, the gaps in provision of support will have to be filled.
Recent research shows that refugee and host CBOs are already carrying significant responsibilities for registration and support, and that this type of support will likely be the most sustainable and effective way to move forward. CBOs already have the know-how and the connections to make this happen – they just need the right political and financial support to continue their important work.
Finally, the government must be ready to take up a more important role in refugee status determination and management. In the absence or reduced capacity of a coordinating international body such as the UN Refugee Agency, we need to step up to do more. This is not a problem that will fix itself, and these individuals are not only numbers – they are real people whose lives are in our care.
Furthermore, it is in the Malaysian ethos to care; and we have done exactly that recently with our magnificent national societal response to the ongoing slaughter of the Palestinian people and how every part of the nation – from individuals to NGOs to government officials at the highest level – have condemned the genocide and have worked hard to funnel aid and help to Gaza. We have it in us to do more, to extend the same solidarity and compassion to those seeking asylum here.
The reality is that global resettlement and funding systems are clearly broken, and in the current world order, no one is going to step in and fix them. This means that refugees and host communities in Malaysia all need to adjust to the fact that refugees are no longer a temporary presence. Lofty ideas of a full policy framework or ratification of international conventions should not hold Malaysia back from taking the reins on refugee protection.
Small, pragmatic steps can be taken to promote longer-term protection and integration opportunities. This will improve lives and provide hope for the future – for refugees and host communities alike. Everyone stands to benefit: both refugees and Malaysian society at large.
* Prof Melati Nungsari, Dr Kirstine Rahma Varming, and Shre Maha Manohar are researchers based in Kuala Lumpur who work on topics related to refugee studies and forced displacement.
** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
