Malaysia has begun registering Rohingya refugees and other asylum seekers for legal employment as it seeks to address labor shortages across key industries.
However, human rights advocates warned that the initiative will only succeed if it strengthens protections against detention, deportation, and exploitation.
The first operational phase of the Refugee Registration Document program, known by its Malay acronym DPP, took effect on June 1, covering refugees and asylum seekers held in immigration detention centers.
According to AsiaNews, about 4,000 people have been registered so far, most of them Rohingya who fled Myanmar, where the predominantly Muslim ethnic minority continues to be denied citizenship.
The Rohingya have faced decades of discrimination and statelessness in Myanmar, driving many to seek refuge in neighboring countries.
Malaysian authorities say the initiative is intended to regularize the presence of refugees while improving their safety and living conditions.
The program will also allow eligible refugees between the ages of 20 and 40 to work legally in sectors facing chronic labor shortages, including manufacturing, agriculture, construction, and services.
The move comes as the government prepares to present a broader refugee management plan to the Cabinet in mid-June. The proposal is expected to address the situation of more than 200,000 refugees and asylum seekers currently living in Malaysia.
Officials argue that bringing refugees into the formal labor market could benefit both refugees and the national economy.
Some estimates cited by AsiaNews suggest that granting refugees legal access to employment could increase Malaysia’s gross domestic product by about $750 million over five years while boosting tax revenues.
Under the new framework, employers will be required to comply with national labor regulations, including payment of the minimum monthly wage, estimated at about $430, and the provision of adequate housing.
The policy has drawn mixed reactions.
Business groups have welcomed the initiative, saying it could reduce dependence on irregular foreign labor and help fill persistent workforce gaps.
Human rights organizations, however, have called for transparent implementation and stronger safeguards to ensure refugees are not exposed to further abuse.
Malaysian authorities have stressed that the DPP is not a pathway to permanent residency. Malaysia is not a signatory to the 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention and has historically approached refugee issues through the lens of security and public order.
Critics have also pointed to the government’s reluctance to allow external scrutiny of conditions faced by refugees and asylum seekers.
John Quinley, director of Fortify Rights, said the success of the new system would depend on the protections afforded to refugees throughout the registration process.
“Malaysia must operate this system by ensuring data confidentiality, compliance with legal procedures, cooperation with the UN Refugee Agency, and adequate safeguards against detention, forced repatriation, and misuse of personal information,” Quinley said.
He warned that the registration document should not become another mechanism of immigration control.
“The DPP will only have a real impact if it serves to protect refugees, rather than leaving them exposed to arbitrary immigration controls,” he said.
“The government should ensure that no refugee or asylum seeker is arrested, detained, or deported while still awaiting registration.”
While the government has presented the initiative as both an economic and humanitarian measure, refugee advocates say its long-term impact will depend on whether legal access to work is matched by meaningful protections for some of the region’s most vulnerable displaced communities.
