ID :
211444
Thu, 10/06/2011 - 05:37
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/211444
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81,000 REFUGEE STATUS DOCUMENTS ISSUED TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama) - The Immigration Department has issued 81,000 refugee status documents (IMM13 document) as of 2009 to illegal immigrants to enable then to move freely without travelling passes in East Malaysia state of Sabah and Federal Territory Labuan, the Lower House of Parliament was told on Wednesday.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said the documents were only given to two groups of illegal immigrants in Sabah namely Indonesian Chinese refugees and refugees of the civil war in the southern Philippines.
"The provision of the documents to the two groups of refugees were made on humantarian grounds and they were given passport exemption by the government to live temporary in Sabah and Labuan," he said when replying to a question by Member of Parliament Marcus Mojigoh (BN-Putatan), who wanted to know the total number of foreigners who hade been issued the IMM13 document.
Nazri said there were six schemes for settling the refugees from the southern Philippines as developed by UNHCR and gazetted by the Sabah state government.
"They are Kg Hidayat in Tawau, Kg Selamat in Semporna, Kg Bahagia in Sandakan, Kg Kinarut and Kg Telipot in Kota Kinabalu and Kg Muslim in Labuan," he said.
Nonetheless, he said as UNHCR could not afford to undertake the cost of settlement since 1970s, many of them were forced to live outside of their settlement area by becoming squatters.
"The Indonesian Chinese refugees settled in the urban areas of Kota
Kinabalu, Sandakan and Tawau," he said.
Replying to a supplementary question from Datuk Chua Soon Bui (Ind-Tawau) whether the holder of IMM13 documents were given citizenship, Nazri said they were not given the status.
Meanwhile, on July 26 last year, Chief Minister of Sabah Musa Aman had said that the issuing of IMM13 documents had been stopped since 1984.
Nazri also said the government did not provide any allocations for refugees and asylum seekers in country who are handled by the UNHCR.
He said according to UNHCR records, there were 83,993 refugees and 10,850 asylum seekers in Malaysia.
Malaysia had also not signed the United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees 1951 and Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees 1967, he said, adding, however, Malaysia provided refuge on humanitarian grounds until refugees were resettled in third countries.
"Refugees are also given a 50 per cent discount for medical treatment at government hospitals and clinics," he said.
Nazri provided the information when replying to a supplementary question from Member of Parliament Aaron Ago Anak Dagang (BN-Kanowit).
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said the documents were only given to two groups of illegal immigrants in Sabah namely Indonesian Chinese refugees and refugees of the civil war in the southern Philippines.
"The provision of the documents to the two groups of refugees were made on humantarian grounds and they were given passport exemption by the government to live temporary in Sabah and Labuan," he said when replying to a question by Member of Parliament Marcus Mojigoh (BN-Putatan), who wanted to know the total number of foreigners who hade been issued the IMM13 document.
Nazri said there were six schemes for settling the refugees from the southern Philippines as developed by UNHCR and gazetted by the Sabah state government.
"They are Kg Hidayat in Tawau, Kg Selamat in Semporna, Kg Bahagia in Sandakan, Kg Kinarut and Kg Telipot in Kota Kinabalu and Kg Muslim in Labuan," he said.
Nonetheless, he said as UNHCR could not afford to undertake the cost of settlement since 1970s, many of them were forced to live outside of their settlement area by becoming squatters.
"The Indonesian Chinese refugees settled in the urban areas of Kota
Kinabalu, Sandakan and Tawau," he said.
Replying to a supplementary question from Datuk Chua Soon Bui (Ind-Tawau) whether the holder of IMM13 documents were given citizenship, Nazri said they were not given the status.
Meanwhile, on July 26 last year, Chief Minister of Sabah Musa Aman had said that the issuing of IMM13 documents had been stopped since 1984.
Nazri also said the government did not provide any allocations for refugees and asylum seekers in country who are handled by the UNHCR.
He said according to UNHCR records, there were 83,993 refugees and 10,850 asylum seekers in Malaysia.
Malaysia had also not signed the United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees 1951 and Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees 1967, he said, adding, however, Malaysia provided refuge on humanitarian grounds until refugees were resettled in third countries.
"Refugees are also given a 50 per cent discount for medical treatment at government hospitals and clinics," he said.
Nazri provided the information when replying to a supplementary question from Member of Parliament Aaron Ago Anak Dagang (BN-Kanowit).
