Malaysia Orders UN Refugee Agency to Halt New Registrations as It Launches Domestic System
Malaysia has ordered the UNHCR to temporarily stop registering new refugees as the government implements its own refugee registration program, Dokumen Pendaftaran Pelarian (DPP), launched in January. Deputy Foreign Minister Lukanisman Awang Sauni told parliament the Cabinet decision aims to reorganize refugee management and reduce reliance on foreign entities. Malaysia, not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, hosts about 215,600 registered refugees, mostly from Myanmar including over 126,000 Rohingya. The move follows years of tightened immigration enforcement, with 92,000 undocumented migrants arrested in 2024 and around 21,000 held in detention centers without UNHCR access since 2019. Public hostility toward Rohingya has grown, with over 500,000 signing a petition for their removal. The government plans to repatriate 5,000 Myanmar detainees via naval ships. Human rights groups have expressed concerns about the new program's impact on refugee protections.
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