SHAH ALAM, Aug 17 — The Selangor government is compiling data on refugees, including the Rohingya community, from each district to submit to the Home Ministry (KDN) for further action, said Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari.
He added that the data-gathering process is being done by District Security Committees, with Hulu Langat among districts that have completed the effort.
“Other districts will also gather (data) for us to submit to KDN and for action with UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees),” he explained when met after an MOU exchange between SmartSel Sdn Bhd and PG LinkaranFiber Sdn Bhd, as well as the launch of the Cyberjaya Fibreisation Project, here today.
Amirudin said refugee registrations and related actions are under the federal government’s jurisdiction through KDN, and that state governments cannot issue licences or permits on refugees’ status.
According to him, registrations must be done before follow-up actions can be planned, including repatriation.
“As much as possible, we want to send them home, and repatriation requires agreement from their (home country) governments,” he added.
However, Amirudin said, this must be managed well with consideration to humanitarian efforts to prevent social issues, adding that while the state government cannot allocate spaces for this group, if private homeowners rent their property to refugees, it falls beyond Selangor’s jurisdiction.
“There are humanitarian factors we must consider. If we drive them all away, they will eventually end up by the roadside and there will be other social issues, so we must (manage it well),” he added.
He also said the issue of statelessness isn’t exclusive to the Rohingya community but also involves other groups and requires comprehensive solutions.
Previously, KDN started the identification, documentation and screening of Rohingya refugees as preparation to repatriate 5,000 of them to Myanmar.
The process, under the Refugee Registration Document (DPP) that took effect on January 1, aims to streamline biometric information, security screening, and the process of determining and confirming the statuses of migrants applying for temporary protection in Malaysia.
The first phase of the DPP focuses on registering the 4,010 migrants held at Immigration detention depots (DTIs) across the peninsula.
The second phase involves UNHCR card-holders and those not held at DTIs, who declare themselves as refugees, being registered in the second half of this year.
