Some detained UNHCR cardholders in for rape, murder, says Saifuddin
Published on: Tuesday, March 12, 2024
By:
FMT, Predeep Nambiar
Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said UNHCR cardholders are typically detained in immigration detention centres to serve their prison sentences. (Bernama pic)
Kuala Lumpur: Some of the United Nations refugees held at detention camps across the country have committed major crimes including rape and murder, says home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
He said these UNHCR cardholders are typically detained at immigration detention centres after they serve their prison sentences.
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Saifuddin said besides rape and murder, some were also detained for drug-related cases and the theft of rare earth elements in Sik, Kedah.
“Some of these detainees have served out their sentences, but they have no place (to go), so we keep them at the depots.
“But if UNHCR writes to us, we will release them. Their job is to register refugees and resettle them elsewhere. They (the refugees) cannot stay here for long,” he told the Dewan Rakyat during Minister’s Question Time.
Lim Guan Eng (PH-Bagan) had earlier asked about a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report in which former immigration detainees detailed instances of torture and overcrowding at detention centres.
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Saifuddin said HRW’s claims were without evidence and that he had personally asked for a meeting to demand answers.
He also said that the government spent RM123 million last year to run 20 centres across the country, RM80 million of which went to meals while the rest was for detainees’ repatriation to their countries of origin via ferry and plane.
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Saifuddin said the centres had a total capacity of 20,650 people, and were at 66% occupancy with 13,635 people presently detained. A total of 41,658 people were repatriated last year.
The detainees comprise Myanmar nationals (4,541), Indonesians (3,797), Filipinos (2,914), Bangladeshis (1,000), Thais (329), and others (1,054). Saifuddin said most of them were detained for overstaying.
He said according to UNHCR’s numbers, there are 189,000 cardholders in the country, with agency caseworkers personally brought to visit detainees for identification checks at detention centres.
Khlir Nor (PN-Ketereh) said it was deeply upsetting to see UNHCR cardholders setting up tahfiz centres, groceries and foreign exchange outlets on their own in his constituency in Kelantan.
He asked if the government was doing anything to address this, but Saifuddin said UNHCR refugees can only be detained if they commit a crime.
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