UNHCR began its operations in Malaysia in 1975 when Vietnamese refugees began to arrive by boat in Malaysia and other countries in the region. From 1975 until 1996, UNHCR assisted the Malaysian government in providing protection and assistance for the Vietnamese boat people.
Over those two decades as part of an international burden sharing effort, UNHCR resettled more than 240,000 Vietnamese to countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, France, New Zealand, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway. During that same period, more than 9,000 persons returned home to Vietnam with the support of UNHCR.
Refugees, asylum-seekers, and stateless people live in a very challenging environment in Malaysia. The country has not acceded to the 1951 Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol or relevant Statelessness Conventions, and there is no legal and policy framework to address their protection and welfare needs.
Refugees are generally seen as illegal or undocumented migrants under the Immigration Act of 1959 and by the host society at large.
With no right to remain in Malaysia lawfully, refugees cannot work legally and have very limited access to quality healthcare and education.
UNHCR envisages a fundamental change in the way refugees and stateless people are protected and supported in Malaysia over the next five years (2017-2021).
Together with civil society organizations, partner organizations, and the Government of Malaysia, we can:
To support these objectives, UNHCR Malaysia will support and promote a better integrated and interactive ‘ecosystem’ or network of civil society actors. This will provide a comprehensive, predictable and sustaining environment of protection during refugees’ temporary stay in Malaysia and while durable solutions are found to end their displacement.