REFUGEE CHILDREN IN MALAYSIA: THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

Abstract

There were not many changes to the situation of refugees and its protection in Malaysia ever since their first arrival in the 1970s.  The legal framework for the protection of refugees and refugee children is incomplete, inadequate and has no special regards to children’s rights. Despite ratifying the United Nations Convention On The Rights Of A Child (UNCRC), refugee children in Malaysia continue to struggle to enjoy their basic rights. This paper seeks to highlight the presence of diverse group of refugee in Malaysia in the past until today. It is argued in this paper that as a host country of refuge, Malaysia has contributed significantly to the protection of refugees in the Southeast Asian region despite glaring shortcomings.  Next, analysis on the treatment of refugee children will be presented with special focus into the different treatment to different groups of refugee children. These various treatments will show whether the guiding principles of UNCRC are being respected and complied with. This paper also seeks to suggest that a proper incorporation of the UNCRC in domestic law will lead the authority to treat refugee children as children first regardless of the immigrant label attached to the group.