KUALA LUMPUR: More than 40 Yemeni refugees gathered peacefully in front of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), here, on Wednesday to submit a memorandum demanding their rights.
The memorandum was submitted to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi by Yemeni activist Leena Al-Mujahed through the Deputy Representative of UNHCR Maja Lazic.
Al-Mujahed, who is also a refugee, said the group represents about 7,000 Yemeni refugees in Malaysia to obtain their rights including financial aid, health insurance, and job opportunities.
According to Al-Mujahed, the Yemeni refugees’ situation at this time is unsatisfactory because their basic rights as refugees are neglected and UNHCR has failed to play its role.
“Through today’s gathering, UNHCR Malaysia has informed us that a meeting will be held to discuss the issues raised by our community.
“We will wait, and we expect positive feedback from them as soon as possible,“ she told Bernama after the hour-long gathering and submission of the memorandum.
Al-Mujahed said the gist of the memorandum include the right to placement to a third country, basic educational and vocational rights, and health insurance rights and employment programmes for refugees.
According to the UNHCR website, a refugee has the right to safe asylum.
“Refugees should receive at least the same rights and basic help as any other foreigner who is a legal resident, including freedom of thought, of movement, and freedom from torture and degrading treatment.
“Economic and social rights are equally applicable. Refugees should have access to medical care, schooling and the right to work,“ added the statement on the website.
Meanwhile, the Yemeni Refugees’ community leader, Waleed Al-Fakih, said today’s rally was held to urge UNHCR to take a stand and strive to solve the Yemeni refugees’ problems in the country.
“We have been living in Malaysia for the past eight years and have only UNHCR cards without being granted refugee rights ... our application for relocation to third countries is also frozen.
“We are facing a difficult life without a permanent home and without work to support our family,“ he said.
As of the end of May this year, there are about 173,700 refugees and asylum seekers registered with UNHCR in Malaysia.
Of these, about 93,000 are ethnic Rohingya, 24,000 (China), 9,700 (Myanmar Muslims), 4,000 (Rakhine & Arakan) and 23,300 from countries like Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Iraq, Palestine and Syria. — Bernama
