The lived experience of forced displacement often implies trauma and can lead to an increased prevalence of mental health conditions and challenges to psychosocial well-being. Long ignored, this fact has recently been acknowledged by the international community and led to new research and interventions. In this context, the mental health repercussions of immigration detention on…
Education transforms lives, paving the way to better futures and livelihood opportunities. In times of crisis, including long-term displacement, education can play a life-saving and life-sustaining role. Unfortunately, in Malaysia, refugee and stateless children remain excluded from formal education in public schools and are thus hindered from reaching their full potential. This policy brief is…
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), as of May 2023, Malaysia hosted an urban refugee population of approximately 181,300, encompassing both registered refugees and asylum seekers. Often, due to the harsh conditions they face, refugees’ mental health comes under stress. Numerous studies have highlighted the psychosocial challenges refugees and asylum seekers…
This snapshot examines access to information about routes, destinations, costs, and risks among Afghan, Chin, and Rohingya refugees in Malaysia. It presents insights on the sources of information and the means used to obtain information both before and during the journey to Malaysia, information gaps and the implications these gaps have on decision-making. Key findings…
TODAY is World Refugee Day. This year’s theme, “Hope Away From Home”, resonates deeply with the millions of refugees and displaced persons worldwide, including those in Malaysia, whose hopes and ambitions are often amplified through initiatives and support from within their own communities, including refugee-led organisations (RLOs). The Asia Displacement Solutions Platform’s (ADSP) SHARP-Asia project…
25 May 2023 – DHAKA, Bangladesh: The arbitrary and indefinite immigration detention of Rohingya is harmful to refugees and their families. As Rohingya flee ongoing persecution in Myanmar and deteriorating security conditions in camps in Bangladesh, punitive immigration detention has not and will not deter them from coming to Malaysia for safety. Immigration detention is expensive,…
25 May 2023 – Dhaka, Bangladesh: Unable to be formally employed in Malaysia due to lack of legal recognition, Rohingya are relegated to living on the margins of society and finding work in the informal economy. This places many Rohingya in situations of financial precarity and at risk of labour exploitation. In a recent joint…
In 2017, a violent security crackdown in Myanmar’s Rakhine State triggered the largest exodus of Rohingya in recent history. At the time, the Malaysian government took a vocal stance against the persecution of the Rohingya, positioning themselves as supportive and sympathetic to their plight. However, as growing numbers of Rohingya have sought irregular means of…
As of November 2022, Malaysia hosted 182,990 refugees and asylum seekers, 106,120 of whom were Rohingya. However, Malaysia is not a signatory to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees or its 1967 Protocol and does not have a legislative framework for refugee protection. Notwithstanding barriers to legal employment, a UNHCR study found…
This snapshot – a deliverable under the PRRiA project – documents the experience of Rohingya refugees in Malaysia, shedding light on protection risks that negatively impact their safety and well-being. This snapshot is one of a series that focuses on Rohingya journeys and experiences in Southeast Asia, with the key objective of contributing to building…