Malaysian foreign minister calls for review of UNHCR’s presence

Core Impact Points

• Malaysia's foreign minister, Mohamad Hasan, has called for a review of the UNHCR's presence in the country due to concerns over the agency's handling of refugee documentation.
• The UNHCR has been criticized for allowing individuals to apply for refugee status online from their home country, which has led to an influx of Rohingya asylum seekers in Malaysia.
• Malaysia has detained over 100 Rohingya asylum seekers who gathered outside the UNHCR premises in Kuala Lumpur to seek assistance after being evicted from their homes.
• The Malaysian government is working to ensure that the screening process for refugees is carried out jointly by the UNHCR and local authorities when issuing documentation.
• Amnesty International has voiced concern over the treatment of refugees in Malaysia, stating that the country cannot build a credible refugee protection system while simultaneously detaining and removing refugees.
• The Rohingya refugee crisis has been ongoing for years, with over 126,000 refugees registered with the UNHCR in Malaysia as of February 2026.