Paying the Price

TThe refugees should go back to the countries from where they originally belong, because now the organisations working for the welfare of the refugees and the countries who esettle the refugees in their homeland have many other priorities to deal with. The refugees who resettled by 2020 are among the lucky ones and last to be recognized by the 1951 signatories. Organizations such as the UNHCR, International Rescue Committee, and International Organization for Migration, etc. are have had enough of working for the welfare of refugees and no longer have any interest they once had. The UNHCR offices in Malaysia and Indonesia now rarely respond to refugee requests. Once the UNHCR office in Southeast Asia, Thailand and Sri Lanka were actively involved in resolving refugee issues but now the situation has changed. The UNHCR offices in Malaysia and Indonesia fare zero performance due to the fact that these offices provide jobs to the people who are not interested in their work at all. Thousands of emails are sent to these offices every month by migrants, but very few are answered. Racism is more prevalent in these offices because a particular sect from Myanmar is given more importance. The UNHCR Malaysia chapter is currently run by security guards who cannot handle refugees and issues confronting them.

The UNHCR offices in countries like Indonesia and Malaysia have not taken any special measures for the welfare of the refugees. Both countries have so far failed miserably to resettle refugees in other countries and refugees have no offered any redressal of their grievances on health, education, security, resettlements and immigration issues. The Coronavirus pandemic has forced thousands of refugees from Myanmar, Somalia, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Palestine to relocate to their own or third countries because they have left with no hope of resettlement or assistance from the international NGOs. Thousands of refugees from Myanmar have crossed the Malaysian-Thai border. As a result, the total number of refugees in Malaysia has been reduced, but the UNHCR Malaysia has not yet revealed the updated numbers. Having been granted the refugee status, people are left totally helpless and have been leading the life of a prisoner.

As a result, they cannot return to their families or resettle in another countries. They are simply trapped in the middle of nowhere. Many refugees have left this world with the dream for a better future, but the death of a refugee does not matter to any NGO or human rights organization. Now the world has changed. Human rights no longer exist in practice. There was a time when refugees were welcomed. Every country now considers refugees a greater burden. Refugees pay the price when they are ignored by the international NGOs. Many refugees have understood the tricks played by stakeholders, which has ultimately added to their frustration.