Malaysia Directs UNHCR to Temporarily Halt New Refugee Registrations

Malaysia has directed the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to temporarily halt all new refugee registrations in the country as it reorganises its management system through the government-led Dokumen Pendaftaran Pelarian (DPP), or Refugee Registration Document, programme.

Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni announced the Cabinet decision in parliament’s upper house, the Dewan Negara, on 23 July 2026. He stated that the instruction was issued “to stop any refugee registrations for the time being because we are reorganising the implementation of the DPP programme,” according to a report by The Star. The goal is to ensure refugee management and registration occur “in a more orderly manner under government supervision.”

Through the DPP, launched in January 2026, “the government can manage data in a more organised manner, including the purposes of data coordination, identity verification, monitoring, and regulation without relying on the records of any foreign entities,” Lukanisman said, as reported by Reuters. Registration under the programme will involve a strict process with various enforcement agencies to register only eligible individuals and help prevent illegal immigration, he added in comments carried by The Star.

According to UNHCR figures cited by Reuters, approximately 215,600 refugees and asylum-seekers were registered with the agency in Malaysia as of the end of February 2026, with more than half being ethnic Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar. Malaysia is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, and refugees there generally lack the right to work or access formal education.

Lukanisman indicated that pausing new UNHCR registrations would allow the agency to focus on resettling refugees in third countries where repatriation is not possible. He affirmed that Malaysian authorities would continue regular engagement and cooperation with UNHCR. The UNHCR Malaysia office did not immediately respond to requests for comment, per Reuters. On its website, UNHCR has described Malaysia’s policies, including the DPP, as reflecting “an important step towards a structured, predictable, and nationally owned approach to protecting people forced to flee their country,” with its own work remaining “complementary to and in support of the state’s protection and humanitarian responsibilities,” as noted by UNHCR Malaysia and reported in Reuters.

In the same parliamentary session, Lukanisman said plans were underway to repatriate approximately 5,000 Myanmar nationals held in immigration detention centres by naval vessels, subject to Myanmar’s agreement and resolution processes, according to both The Star and Reuters. He noted Malaysia’s continued multilateral engagement with Myanmar and ASEAN countries on the Rohingya issue, emphasising the need to avoid Malaysia solely bearing the management burden given its non-signatory status and impacts on local communities.

Amnesty International Malaysia called for clarification on how asylum-seekers can access protection procedures during the UNHCR registration suspension. Its spokesperson noted the timing coincides with the repatriation plans and urged transparency on assessments for those facing deportation, safeguards against returns to persecution, and full evaluation of protection needs, particularly amid ongoing conflict and humanitarian issues in Myanmar, as reported by Free Malaysia Today. Earlier rights groups had raised concerns about the DPP system’s safeguards, data protection, and procedural standards when it began rolling out.

The government has framed the DPP as enabling clearer data for systematic oversight. UNHCR has previously indicated support for the government’s efforts through technical advice while continuing identification and registration work in transparency with authorities during the transition to national procedures.