Weed out masterminds scamming, trafficking migrants - Kangar MP
PARLIAMENT | Noor Amin Ahmad (PKR-Kangar) urged for a more transparent and humane way of dealing with undocumented migrants, highlighting to the Dewan Rakyat that some were victims of human trafficking and scams.
During his turn to debate the royal address this evening, he raised the need to protect migrants and refugees amidst the recent wave of “unfettered” anti-immigrant sentiment in the country.
Amin proposed for...
PARLIAMENT | Noor Amin Ahmad (PKR-Kangar) urged for a more transparent and humane way of dealing with undocumented migrants, highlighting to the Dewan Rakyat that some were victims of human trafficking and scams.
During his turn to debate the royal address this evening, he raised the need to protect migrants and refugees amidst the recent wave of “unfettered” anti-immigrant sentiment in the country.
Amin proposed for more “transparent and fair” immigration rules that should be drafted in partnership with embassies of the countries where the migrant workers hailed from.
“Although I agree with the government’s move to curb the entry of undocumented migrants, recent arrests involved many government officials.
“I think the government must approach this issue prudently and with humanity. We want to find who is the mastermind behind the issue of undocumented migrants but let us not forget that they, too, are victims of the tyranny of the system [...]
“Not only are some of them cheated by the people who traffic them and their agents, today when they are in a foreign country, we want to catch and punish them,” he said.
Amin did not elaborate on the alleged arrests involving government officials.
Earlier this month, Johor police arrested several Immigration Department officers for alleged involvement in a migrant-smuggling syndicate. Two senior officers, including an assistant director, have since been charged on eight counts of migrant-smuggling.
Elaborating, Amin (below) raised the need to treat migrant workers justly.
“Let us not normalise treating these workers badly just because they work jobs that are hard and dangerous.
“We should treat them as guests because they are also among the contributors to our economy despite having small salaries,” he said.
A rise in anti-refugee and anti-migrant sentiments was observed following news that Rohingya refugee boats had attempted to land on Malaysian shores in April and June. Those sentiments were further fuelled by immigration raids on undocumented migrants.
Rohingya community leaders and activists who mobilised aid for refugee communities reported receiving death threats, rape threats, and hateful comments online.
After the raids, Covid-19 outbreaks were detected in five immigration detention centres in the Klang Valley. UN Human Rights experts, meanwhile, urged Putrajaya to halt the crackdown and “hate campaign” against migrants.
Malaysia does not recognise refugees despite being home to about 177,800 registered refugees and asylum seekers - most of them ethnic Rohingyans from Myanmar.
The number of undocumented refugees and migrant workers, meanwhile, is estimated to be between two to four million.
