PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia will continue efforts to repatriate refugees, including Myanmar nationals, unless a court order directs otherwise, says Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (pic).
He said the Home Ministry and Foreign Ministry would continue negotiations with Myanmar authorities for the next phase of repatriation.
This follows a court rejection of an application by the Malaysian Bar seeking a stay of the repatriation process, he added.
Speaking at the Home Ministry's monthly assembly on Thursday (Oct 29), Saifuddin Nasution also addressed public concerns over a proposal to allow holders of the Refugee Registration Document (DPP) to work temporarily in Malaysia.
ALSO READ: No repatriation if returnees face persecution in Myanmar
He stressed that the DPP was not a pathway to permanent residence or citizenship, nor an invitation for new refugees to enter the country.
"The objective remains the same, which is for them to leave Malaysia through established channels," he said.
Saifuddin Nasution said the government had set January 2023 as the cut-off for eligibility under the DPP programme, adding that those who entered Malaysia after that would not be considered.
He said the proposal to allow employment was intended to manage refugees already in the country while enabling them to acquire skills and work experience as they awaited a final resolution of their status.
He added that registration, identity verification and permission to work would not automatically confer citizenship or the right to remain permanently in Malaysia.
ALSO READ: Malaysia to seek explanation from Myanmar over reports of detained returnees
Saifuddin Nasution said the DPP was a refugee management and control mechanism rather than a permanent settlement policy.
Through biometric registration, security screening and accurate records of their whereabouts, the government would be better able to identify refugees and determine the appropriate action, including repatriation, resettlement in a third country or deportation in accordance with the law.
He acknowledged that managing refugees posed ongoing economic, social, political and security challenges for the country.
Immigration detention depots were also facing overcrowding when the number of detainees exceeded capacity, increasing management costs as well as health and security risks, he said.
The Home Ministry, he added, had to continue enforcement and detention management while seeking long-term solutions to the issue.
ALSO READ: Govt collecting data on refugee communities nationwide, says Zahid
Saifuddin Nasution said cooperation with countries of origin, reliable data and action in accordance with the law were essential to resolving a refugee issue that had persisted for decades.
"The government's position is clear. Our aim is to resolve Malaysia's long-standing refugee issue, and the DPP is not intended to keep refugees in Malaysia.
"It is a data-driven measure that enables the government to manage their presence in a controlled manner until a final solution is implemented," he said.
He reiterated that the interests of Malaysians, national security and the country's sovereignty remained the government's priorities.
