RESETTLEMENT to a safe third country is not an automatic right for all refugees as it is subject to the approval of those countries, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Malaysia said. 

A spokesman for the international body told The Malaysian Insight that resettlement was limited and depended on the number of places offered by third countries.

“Resettlement is not an automatic right for all refugees.

“Less than 1% of the world’s refugees will receive a place in a third country,” said the spokesman.

He said that the resettlement country has the power to make decisions related to bringing in refugees.

“Given the limited number of resettlement places around the world, it is prioritised for the most vulnerable refugees and those in urgent need of protection.

“It’s usually a combination of these factors that determines whether someone is accepted for resettlement,” he said.

He however said that the uncertainty about the future of refugees will always have a corrosive effect on the mental and physical health of these applicants.

“UNHCR therefore strongly encourages host governments to provide asylum while they are able to return safely or find a home in a third country.”

According to UNHCR, since March 2008, more than 94,800 refugees have been resettled from Malaysia to third countries, including refugees from Myanmar.

In 2022 alone, nearly 10,000 refugees have been handed over for resettlement to third countries.

“Currently, about 20,000 refugees in the country are at various stages of resettlement,” he said.

Last week, the Malaysian government announced it was considering entering into an agreement with the UNHCR regarding the role and responsibilities of the commission.

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the UNHCR needs to fulfil its responsibilities towards refugees and asylum seekers in this country.

Asylum seekers stranded in Malaysia have complained that some of them have been waiting for resettlements for years, some as long as 15 years.

They blamed the bureaucratic processes at UNHCR for the delays, while others accused the UN of practising favouritism. – May 22, 2023.