KUALA LUMPUR: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) expressed its concern over the tragic incident at the temporary immigration depot in Bidor, where 131 detainees managed to escape during riots.
It said the incident highlighted the urgent need for a comprehensive, efficient, and humane framework to address the situation of refugees and asylum-seekers in the country.
"UNHCR is shocked and deeply saddened by the news of two detainees who tragically died while attempting to escape from the Bidor temporary immigration depot on Feb 1.
"We are aware and concerned that in immigration detention facilities around Malaysia, there remain detained persons, including vulnerable individuals requiring our attention, who may be asylum-seekers or refugees," it said in a statement today.
Since August 2018, UNHCR has been unable to obtain approval from immigration authorities to access detention centres.
It said this has hindered UNHCR's ability to assess detainees' needs for international protection and advocate for their release.
"We are fully committed to our ongoing cooperation with the government to find predictable ways to manage the refugee situation better, addressing any legitimate national concerns and providing access to asylum for those in need of international protection.
"UNHCR has advocated and continues to do so with the immigration department and relevant government agencies and ministries, including at the highest level, for immediate access to those who may need our protection.
"UNHCR, together with civil society partners, also stands ready to support the government in developing alternatives to immigration detention, particularly for vulnerable refugees and asylum-seekers, including children and the elderly," it said.
It said seeking asylum is not a criminal act, and detention should only be used as a last resort under the law and only if deemed necessary and reasonable under all circumstances.
"Alternatives to detention need to be considered before resorting to detention," it said.
On Feb 6, Perak police chief Datuk Seri Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri said that 131 illegal immigrants escaped from the depot on Friday, and 86 of them had been recaptured, while two of them died in road accidents.
Mohd Yusri, in a statement, said that police and the Immigration Department were intensifying efforts to locate the remaining 43 illegal immigrants who were still on the loose.
On Feb 2, police confirmed that 131 illegal immigrants from Myanmar and Rohingya ethnic groups escaped from the depot.
District police chief Superintendent Mohd Naim Asnawi reported that a riot erupted inside the male block depot, resulting in all detainees successfully fleeing the facility.