KUALA LUMPUR – Putrajaya has plans to allow refugees and asylum seekers to work legally in Malaysia, but only in 3D (dirty, dangerous, and difficult) jobs.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah, Sarawak, and Special Functions) Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali said the government is also looking at granting work permits to refugees under the category of unskilled workers, by using existing quotas for employers.
“The government has already considered proposals allowing UNHCR-registered refugees and asylum seekers to make a living by working here,” he said in a parliamentary written reply dated October 30.
“Detailed study must be carried out to avoid creating competition with local workers and to avoid creating a pull factor for the entry of more foreign nationals under the guise of refugees under UNHCR.
“For this purpose, the government is also creating a refugee data system at the government level, which means that in addition to being registered under UNHCR, this group also needs to be registered with the government,” Armizan said.
The registration mechanism with the government will be finalised by the Home Ministry, he added, while the Human Resource Ministry will look into appropriate mechanisms to allow UNHCR-registered refugees to obtain jobs.
Armizan was responding to William Leong Jee Keen (Selayang-PH), who asked whether the government would consider and refine suggestions to allow refugees registered under UNHCR to join several economic sectors, instead of increasing the quota for foreign workers.
The minister said Putrajaya has held a series of engagement sessions with UNHCR to obtain profiles of refugees, which include their level of education, skills, and the types of jobs they engage in.
The meeting also consisted of suggestions for the nation to learn the best practices in handling refugees from other countries, such as the Philippines and Turkiye, Armizan added.
The Papar MP said the Human Resource Ministry will lead the Committee on Work Permits for Refugees, whose main function is to oversee matters on work permits for refugees in sectors according to current needs and appropriateness.
His written answer did not state when the government would begin allowing refugees to work legally.
Malaysia is not a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention. – October 31, 2023