Malaysian authorities have released 109 Rohingya Muslim asylum seekers detained earlier this week after they sought help outside the UN refugee agency’s office in Kuala Lumpur, police said on Wednesday.
The refugees had gathered at the UNHCR office on Monday after claiming they were evicted from their homes in Penang State. Following a review of their documents, they were released from Kuala Lumpur police headquarters and relocated to designated locations in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Penang with the support of the UN refugee agency and non-governmental organisations.
Kuala Lumpur police chief Fadil Marsus said the locations were chosen based on where the refugees had relatives or contacts. “The destinations were selected based on contacts and relatives (of the refugees) living in those areas,” Fadil said.
Authorities said all 109 refugees possessed valid UNHCR documentation, according to state news agency Bernama.
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Although Muslim-majority Malaysia is not a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention and treats asylum seekers as illegal migrants, it has long served as a refuge for Rohingya escaping persecution in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar.
The release comes a day after Malaysia’s foreign minister urged the government to review whether the UN refugee agency should continue operating in the country unless it adopts stricter controls on issuing refugee documents.
Rohingya refugees in Malaysia have also faced increasing harassment and scrutiny in recent months amid a surge in online hate speech and misinformation targeting the community.
Reuters
