Migrants are human beings, and they should be treated as such

In this April 28, 2020, file photo, a healthcare worker collects a sample for Covid-19 testing from a worker at a locked down wet market in Petaling Jaya. The Malaysian government is conducting raids and mass arrests of migrants without valid documents in viral hotspot areas. — AP

Migrants are people too. The fact that this obvious truth must be said in the first place speaks volumes about the reality of the situation in which migrants in Malaysia find themselves now – a situation that is unfortunately reflected around the world.

Much of the anti-migrant discourse in Malaysia centres around the idea that migrants have come here to take away the jobs, the safety and even the citizenship – essentially, the basic human rights – of Malaysians. This is an inaccurate assumption because human rights are not quantifiable. Giving migrants the same opportunities and the same basic social safety net as locals is not in any way "taking away" rights from locals.