UNHCR Suspends Refugee Departures In The Resettlement Programme In Malaysia For Those Suspected Of Fraud

Kuala Lumpur, 10 April 2014 - An internal review by UNHCR of its refugee resettlement program in Malaysia has identified a significant number of cases of suspected fraud among some refugee communities from Myanmar.

“UNHCR has a ‘zero-tolerance’ policy on fraud and immediate steps have been taken to suspend the departure of any refugee who is suspected of fraud while investigations are carried out,” said Richard Towle, UNHCR’s Country Representative in Malaysia.

Appropriate measures will be taken against any individuals found to have abused these humanitarian procedures. Departures under the resettlement program for other refugees from Myanmar and elsewhere remain unaffected.

Resettlement is one of the three main solutions for refugees and applies to vulnerable people for whom there is no possibility of either voluntary return or local integration.  The integrity of the resettlement program is, therefore, of great importance to UNHCR and its resettlement partners.