KUALA LUMPUR: The government does not intend to maintain the office of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) which functions to manage refugees and ayslum seekers in the country.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Special Functions) Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad said the existence of the UNHCR office here had been seen as a "pull factor" attracting refugees to apply for UNHCR card and stay in the country.
"The government is adopting initiatives to improve comprehensively the existing policies and laws (on the management of refugees and asylum seekers). This is to ensure the government has a greater role in the management of these issues.
"Such a transition, however, requires due diligence to ensure that government agencies are extremely prepared to take over UNHCR's role.
"Therefore, there is no longer a need for UNHCR office in Malaysia," he said in a parliamentary written reply.
He was responding to a question by Charles Santiago (Pakatan Harapan - Klang) who had sought an explanation on National Security Council's (NSC) proposal to close the UNHCR office here and for the management of refugees to be taken over by the government.
Abdul Latiff said the UNHCR offices in Thailand or Indonesia could play other roles as required by UNHCR related to the management of refugees in the country.
The UNHCR which opened its office in Kuala Lumpur, he said, following Malaysia's invitation to manage Vietnamese refugees in the 1970s.
Since then, the office has been managing the resettlement of refugees or asylum seekers to a third country or repatriated to their country of origin.
"However, it is found that the presence of refugees especially from Myanmar continue to increase with repatriation to their country of origin. Resettlement to a third country is extremely low," he said.
NSC director-general Datuk Rodzi Md Saad in a statement which was published by Harian Metro was quoted as suggesting for UNHCR office in Malaysia to be shut down. Rodzi had said this would allow the government to better manage refugees in the country without external interference.