KUALA LUMPUR: Over 219,000 individuals are currently registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Kuala Lumpur, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
The Deputy Prime Minister said as of April 2026, 66,493 are asylum seekers, and 152,979 are refugees.
“The registered population included 100,184 adult men, 50,474 adult women, 35,345 male children and 33,469 female children.
“They originate from approximately 60 countries worldwide, including Myanmar, Syria, Pakistan, Yemen and Afghanistan," he said in a parliamentary written reply dated Monday (July 13).
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Ahmad Zahid said the government does not verify or determine refugee status, with the process being handled entirely by the UNHCR office.
As a result, he said the registered figure may not reflect the actual number of refugees and asylum seekers.
"The method of granting refugee and asylum seeker status is carried out and recorded entirely by the UNHCR Office in Kuala Lumpur without the involvement of any Ministry, Department or government agency,” he added.
Ahmad Zahid was responding to a question from Rosol Wahid (PN-Hulu Terengganu) on the current number of UNHCR card holders and fraud cases since 2023.
