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Press Statement – March 6, 2012
Stop the Crackdown of Undocumented Migrant Workers in Malaysia
The International Migrants Alliance condemns in the strongest terms possible the crackdown launched by the Malaysian government against undocumented migrant workers in Malaysia.
Despite earlier pronouncements that arrests of undocumented migrants will only made into effect after the deadline of the Illegal Immigrant Comprehensive Settlement Programme (6P Programme, “6P”)in April 2012, two raids have already been conducted by Malaysian immigration authorities as of February.
The most recent one happened last February 25 in Kajang Bus Station where allegedly three refugees, two Chinese nationals and one Mongolian, were arrested and detained. Unconfirmed are around 50 migrants and refugees who were also rounded up and detained.
Prior to this, was the February 11 raid in Kuala Lumpur that had 100-200 migrant workers and refugees arrested and detained. The victims were allegedly taken to different detention centers unknown to their families and friends.
The Malaysian government is notorious for its criminalization as well as inhumane treatment and handling of undocumented migrant. In the previous crackdowns made around the years of 2005 and 2008, Tenaganita, the foremost organization championing rights of migrants in Malaysia and a member of the IMA, has documented cases of rape, physical and sexual abuse, denial of rights and access to legal services, extortion as well as other violations that have caused death and heavy injury for the migrants.
With such a vivid memory of how the Malaysian government has been to undocumented migrants, it is not very unlikely that grave violations against migrant workers and refugees, regardless of their status, will be committed.
It is very alarming that 4 million Malaysians have been mobilized by the Malaysian government to seek out, arrest, detain and deport any migrant found to be undocumented in Malaysia. Out of this, 2.8 million are ordinary citizens recruited into the infamous RELA Volunteer Corp) yet given no proper training.
The Malaysian government’s brutal response to the growing number of undocumented migrants in Malaysia has not proven to have effectively resolved the issue. It only has further aggravated the problem of migration and put so many innocent lives in imminent danger.
Furthermore, it intensifies the criminalization of undocumented migrant workers, many of whom have been exploited and forcibly turned into undocumented migrants. Instead of addressing WHY and HOW migrants become undocumented as well as providing support and protection to them, the Malaysian government does otherwise.
This thinking and attitude of the Malaysian government towards migrant workers, whether documented or not, should change. It should first and foremost stop the criminalization of all undocumented migrants and defer from its policy of arrest, detention and deportation of migrants. The blanket arrest and detention of migrant workers is a clear and blatant violation of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families.
In the same vein, the Malaysian government should ensure the protection and respect of the rights of migrant workers who have already been arrested and detained. We strongly call that the migrants be given the right to access justice and have their legal counsel, access and avail of health services, especially for those in urgent need of medical attention, be visited by their families, friends and other supportive peers, and be treated humanely, among many others.
References:
Eni Lestari, IMA chairperson (852-96081475)
Founded in June 2008, the International Migrants Alliance is an international alliance of 112 grassroots migrant organizations and institutions working for migrant workers.