SHAH ALAM - A significant issue facing Malaysia today is the widespread misunderstanding and lack of recognition of the humanitarian reasons driving refugees to seek asylum in the country.
Non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting refugees Fugee.org co-founder Deborah Henry said there was an urgent need for Malaysians to recognise that these individuals were not here to take jobs but were fleeing war and persecution.
"Many locals fear that refugees are here to take over jobs, not realising that these individuals are fleeing war and persecution," she said.
The former beauty queen said refugees arrive on humanitarian grounds, seeking safety from the conflicts ravaging their home countries.
The challenges refugees face in Malaysia are multifaceted
Henry said the lack of recognition for their humanitarian plight meant that they were often denied basic rights and services.
She said refugees in Malaysia were not allowed to work legally, their children could not access education and they had limited access to healthcare.
She said this legal limbo left refugees vulnerable to exploitation and unable to support their families.
"How can they take care of their families if they can't work? This leads to exploitation, with people taking advantage of their situation," she added.
She said the impact of denying education to refugee children was profound, leading to long-term social problems.
"If children don't go to school and are not educated, it will lead to social problems, so these are the social challenges we see in refugees because we are denying their rights," she said.
Henry said the tension between local communities and refugees was also a significant concern.
Many Malaysians were unhappy with refugees living near their homes and this created tension that could lead to conflict, she added.
She said she believed that building bridges and fostering understanding between communities was essential.
"We need to come together, learn about each other and work together. It's easy to fear the unknown, but the reality is that refugees can't go back to their home countries.
"Where can the Rohingya go if not here? Would we send Palestinian refugees back to Palestine?," she said.
Fugee.org, founded in 2009 aimed to address these issues head-on.
"I started this organisation after meeting a refugee family and realising the dire situation. Refugee children had no access to education and their futures were bleak," she said.
The organisation began with a school for 60 students, offering a comprehensive curriculum from kindergarten to high school, including life skills training and extracurricular activities.
Fugee has since expanded to include higher education support.
"We started a programme to help refugee youths access university and tertiary education.
"We currently run scholarship programmes and offer support for students attending universities," she added.
Despite the challenges, Henry said she has always remained optimistic about the matter.
She said refugees needed to be allowed to work legally and provided with access to education.
"By adopting more inclusive approaches, we can integrate refugees into our society, enabling them to contribute to the economy rather than living in charity," she said.
She called for a collective effort to address the refugee crisis humanely as the issue has not been addressed properly.
"We must look at more inclusive approaches to bring people together. Refugees want to work, earn a fair income and contribute to our economy," she said.