Malaysia Orders UN Refugee Agency to Halt New Registrations as It Launches Domestic System
Malaysia has ordered the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to temporarily stop registering new refugees in the country, as the government begins implementing its own refugee registration program called Dokumen Pendaftaran Pelarian (DPP). Deputy Foreign Minister Lukanisman Awang Sauni announced the Cabinet decision, stating the DPP will allow Malaysia to manage refugee data more effectively without relying on foreign entities. The move follows years of tightened immigration enforcement, including mass arrests of undocumented migrants and denial of UNHCR access to detention centers since 2019. There are approximately 215,600 refugees and asylum-seekers registered with UNHCR in Malaysia, mostly from Myanmar, including over 126,000 Rohingya. The government plans to repatriate about 5,000 Myanmar nationals currently detained. Human rights groups have expressed concerns about the new program and the registration halt, amid growing public hostility toward Rohingya refugees in Malaysia.
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