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Homes Needed!
Hope for the Vulnerable Refugees in Malaysia and Thailand
* Information provided by Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)
For the purpose of this report, URMs are refugee minors who are not currently living with their parents or have access to a care giver. In Malaysia there is no accurate count of the number of URMs. In Thailand it is estimated that there are over 8,000 refugee minors living in refugee camps.
In February of 2005, a delegation team from LIRS and USCCB visited Malaysia and Thailand. This trip was designed to look at the situation of the refugees in each country, mostly Burmese, with a particular interest and focus on the unaccompanied refugee minor children (URMs).
Findings:
In Malaysia the team found that there were no refugee camps, no legal status for the refugees, and system for giving refugees assistance. The refugees in Malaysia live as best they can as illegal immigrants, often in insecure and desperate circumstances. The Chin Burmese seemed to be at the most risk, with no prospect of remaining in Malaysia and a deep fear of returning to the persecution they faced in Burma.
In Thailand there are well established refugee camps along the Burmese border. In these camps the refugees have protection, food, shelter, access to health and educational services. However, the refugees in these camps have no legal right to integrate into Thailand.
The team of delegates found that the situation in Malaysia was of considerable urgency. On March 1, 2005, the Malaysian government began an aggressive pursuit of all undocumented persons in their country, resulting in many refugees who were seeking help from UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees) to be apprehended and forcefully deported..
According to the delegation team, the Chin Burmese were at the most risk. It is estimated that there are more than 10,000 Chin Burmese refugees in Malaysia. This includes thousands of Chin Burmese refugee boys who have been left to fend for themselves and often live in fear for their life. The Chin Burmese face harassment, threats, abuse at the hands of the local police, preying bandits and unscrupulous employers. At the time of the team’s visit, only 3,000 had been registered with the UNHCR. The URM (Unaccompanied Refugee Minors) without prospects of reunited with their parents or guardians are being considered for resettlement to the United States and placed in the comprehensive foster care system which is designed to meet the unique needs of URMs.
Due to the findings of the delegation team, the U.S. resettlement programs (Including Bethany Christian Services) were asked to immediately expand their resettlement programs for the Chin Burmese in Malaysia. The delegation team has concluded that the resettlement is now the preferred solution for a large number of refugees in Malaysia and Thailand.
If you have questions, you can call us at 616.224.7540 or email us at refugeefostercare@bethany.org
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