KUALA LUMPUR, July 31 — Holders of valid United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) cards are still regarded as illegal immigrants, but are exempted from prosecution under the Immigration Act 1959/63 for offences of overstaying and entering the country without valid travel documents, according to the Immigration Department (JIM).
In a statement to Bernama today, the department said that apart from these exemptions, UNHCR cardholders remain subject to Malaysian laws.
JIM also stressed that the public should not take matters into their own hands against foreign nationals, as doing so could have implications for security, public order and the law.
“JIM understands that this issue has generated various reactions and concerns among the public.
“It must be emphasised that any action involving foreign nationals should be left to the relevant authorities and carried out in accordance with the law,” the statement said.
The department also urged members of the public with information on any foreign nationals suspected of violating immigration laws to report the matter to JIM or the relevant enforcement agencies so that appropriate action can be taken in accordance with the law.
A group of 113 immigrants including 110 Rohingya refugees arrived in the federal capital early last Monday on three buses after being evicted from their settlement in Penang.
They set up tents outside the UNHCR office as a temporary shelter before being moved to the Kuala Lumpur police contingent headquarters for documentation purposes and later relocated in stages to three states with the coordination of NGOs and the UNHCR. — Bernama
