PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia has refuted claims by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) that it was denied access to visit immigration detention depots in the country.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said, to his knowledge, only two requests were made by the international body to visit immigration detention depots this year.
He stressed that such claims and the perception created need to be addressed, as Malaysia does not block visits if they are requested.
"UNHCR as reported in the New York Times yesterday (Dec 10), claimed that we denied them access to enter immigration depots.
"To my recollection, this year, we received only two letters from UNHCR requesting visits to the immigration depots. But they told the world that we blocked them.
"So, all of this we manage from a perception standpoint," he told a press conference after the ministry’s monthly assembly on Thursday (Dec 11).
The New York Times report noted that UNHCR claimed it had been barred since 2019 from visiting most detention depots, which limited its ability to identify refugees or inspect conditions in the centres.
The report also stated that access is granted through an application process, highlighting the two visits conducted last year.
