Population figures
Total country population
34,671,896
Forcibly displaced population
Refugees (under UNHCR's mandate):
137,943
Asylum-seekers:
51,533
IDPs (of concern to UNHCR):
0
Other people in need of international protection:
0
Other
Statelessness persons
9,392
Host community
0
Others of concern to UNHCR
55,857
Country context
Malaysia, located in Southeast Asia, hosts a significant population of refugees and asylum-seekers, primarily from Myanmar, as well as from over 60 other countries, including Pakistan, Yemen, Afghanistan, and Somalia. The majority reside in urban areas.
Malaysia does not currently have a formal legislative or administrative framework for asylum. In the absence of legal recognition, refugees and asylum-seekers are considered “illegal migrants” under the Immigration Act of 1959/63. UNHCR-issued documentation provides a measure of protection and helps facilitate access to essential services.
...Against this backdrop, efforts are underway to develop a national asylum framework and to enhance refugees’ access to legal employment and essential services, including social protection, healthcare and education. UNHCR is working in close partnership with the Government of Malaysia to help ensure that emerging policies are informed by international protection standards, the Global Compact on Refugees, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
While national frameworks are being strengthened, Malaysia is not a party to key international instruments related to refugee protection and statelessness, including the 1951 Refugee Convention and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. Recent constitutional amendments granting Malaysian women equal rights with men to confer nationality to their children born abroad represent a positive step toward addressing gender inequality in nationality laws. Nonetheless, statelessness remains a concern, particularly for vulnerable individuals such as children, who may continue to face barriers in acquiring a nationality.
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