A workshop that was organized by the Malaysian Social and Research Institute (MSRI) took place on the 30th and 31st of May 2012. Representatives from the International Movement for a JUST World were invited therefore, we attended the event. The workshop satisfied its goal of providing its audience with a head-to-toe 101 on all aspects of the refugee situation in Malaysia. In order to ensure that all participants were on the same page, the audience was first of all presented with the statistical figures that currently define the refugee situation in Malaysia. The audience comprised of a variety of individuals from various Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Religious Communities, Law firms, the general public and finally, refugee communities themselves. The refugee communities discussed comprised individuals from Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Myanmar Pakistan, Palestine, Somalia, Sudan, and Sri Lanka. Despite the differences that existed between each of the community’s experiences, one similarity persisted and that was the theme of struggle.
The main speaker at the event was Mr. Brian Barbour, a well-mannered and experienced lawyer currently working for the Japanese Association for Refugees (JAR). In order to describe the events that took place in the workshop in a more concise manner, the first day served as an introduction to the refugee struggle in Malaysia which assisted in preparing each and every individual both empathically and emotionally for the events that were set to take place on the second day which focused more on the application of the acquired knowledge.
Voluntary Return, Local Integration and Resettlement are the only options for refugees in Malaysia. Many refugees can never return to their homelands and therefore for the majority of the individuals, the first option is not applicable. With regards to the second option, refugees in Malaysia are not provided with very many working or education of opportunities which prevents them from obtaining a sustainable lifestyle and therefore once again, the second option is impossible. One might assume that due to how limiting the first two options are that the third option would be the most ideal. However, based on the information received from the refugees who were present at the workshop, this option was the most nerve wrecking of all.
The only organization that has the power to resettle a refugee in Malaysia is the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). As of today, a total of 98,000 registered refugees exist in Malaysia. What about those individuals who have failed to register? Brian Barbour explained the standardized registration procedure that each and every asylum seeker has to endure in order to be deemed professionally a refugee by the UNHCR. The term ‘endure’ is not a typological error. It has been carefully selected in order to begin to describe the horrific process that each and every refugee seeking to be resettled must experience in order to be relocated.
Can one imagine what it must be like to have to flee your own country in order to avoid one form of persecution or another only to arrive at another country that you believed would serve to protect you and heal you from all of the atrocities that you had previously faced only to be confronted by a new trauma? In order to begin the resettlement process, the individual must first of all be deemed to be a refugee by UNHCR. The individual is expected to explain his or her experience over and over again, thereby causing the individual to become repeatedly exposed to the trauma. One must keep in mind that this process is very longwinded and therefore can take up to eight years. What happens if after all the waiting the UNHCR officer present on that day merely rejects the asylum seekers application? Due to the lack of recognition that the government gives to the refugees in Malaysia, it is very difficult to devise standards on how asylum seekers must be treated. Without these standards, can one imagine the amount of torture that a refugee may experience and not be able to do anything about it?
With the large number of refugees that are currently residing in Malaysia, the UNHCR can only do so much. Over recent years, many NGOs have been actively involved in improving the refugee situation; however, due to the lack of progress with regards to this issue, it is evident that this is not enough.
Despite the grim and tragic revelations made at the workshop, the event was truly eye-opening. The layperson views that we had prior to the workshop were completely demolished upon attending the event. The truth of the matter is refugees do not exist solely on the border of Malaysia; they live five minutes away from you. Refugees do not necessarily dress shabbily, they shop at the same store that you do. Refugees are everywhere and they need our help.
Jennifer Kate Tennant
Sarah Madhi
Towards Empowering Refugees
A workshop that was organized by the Malaysian Social and Research Institute (MSRI) took place on the 30th and 31st of May 2012. Representatives from the International Movement for a JUST World were invited therefore, we attended the event. The workshop satisfied its goal of providing its audience with a head-to-toe 101 on all aspects of the refugee situation in Malaysia. In order to ensure that all participants were on the same page, the audience was first of all presented with the statistical figures that currently define the refugee situation in Malaysia. The audience comprised of a variety of individuals from various Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Religious Communities, Law firms, the general public and finally, refugee communities themselves. The refugee communities discussed comprised individuals from Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Myanmar Pakistan, Palestine, Somalia, Sudan, and Sri Lanka. Despite the differences that existed between each of the community’s experiences, one similarity persisted and that was the theme of struggle.
The main speaker at the event was Mr. Brian Barbour, a well-mannered and experienced lawyer currently working for the Japanese Association for Refugees (JAR). In order to describe the events that took place in the workshop in a more concise manner, the first day served as an introduction to the refugee struggle in Malaysia which assisted in preparing each and every individual both empathically and emotionally for the events that were set to take place on the second day which focused more on the application of the acquired knowledge.
Voluntary Return, Local Integration and Resettlement are the only options for refugees in Malaysia. Many refugees can never return to their homelands and therefore for the majority of the individuals, the first option is not applicable. With regards to the second option, refugees in Malaysia are not provided with very many working or education of opportunities which prevents them from obtaining a sustainable lifestyle and therefore once again, the second option is impossible. One might assume that due to how limiting the first two options are that the third option would be the most ideal. However, based on the information received from the refugees who were present at the workshop, this option was the most nerve wrecking of all.
The only organization that has the power to resettle a refugee in Malaysia is the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). As of today, a total of 98,000 registered refugees exist in Malaysia. What about those individuals who have failed to register? Brian Barbour explained the standardized registration procedure that each and every asylum seeker has to endure in order to be deemed professionally a refugee by the UNHCR. The term ‘endure’ is not a typological error. It has been carefully selected in order to begin to describe the horrific process that each and every refugee seeking to be resettled must experience in order to be relocated.
Can one imagine what it must be like to have to flee your own country in order to avoid one form of persecution or another only to arrive at another country that you believed would serve to protect you and heal you from all of the atrocities that you had previously faced only to be confronted by a new trauma? In order to begin the resettlement process, the individual must first of all be deemed to be a refugee by UNHCR. The individual is expected to explain his or her experience over and over again, thereby causing the individual to become repeatedly exposed to the trauma. One must keep in mind that this process is very longwinded and therefore can take up to eight years. What happens if after all the waiting the UNHCR officer present on that day merely rejects the asylum seekers application? Due to the lack of recognition that the government gives to the refugees in Malaysia, it is very difficult to devise standards on how asylum seekers must be treated. Without these standards, can one imagine the amount of torture that a refugee may experience and not be able to do anything about it?
With the large number of refugees that are currently residing in Malaysia, the UNHCR can only do so much. Over recent years, many NGOs have been actively involved in improving the refugee situation; however, due to the lack of progress with regards to this issue, it is evident that this is not enough.
Despite the grim and tragic revelations made at the workshop, the event was truly eye-opening. The layperson views that we had prior to the workshop were completely demolished upon attending the event. The truth of the matter is refugees do not exist solely on the border of Malaysia; they live five minutes away from you. Refugees do not necessarily dress shabbily, they shop at the same store that you do. Refugees are everywhere and they need our help.
by Jennifer Kate Tennant and Sarah Madhi