UNHCR alarmed at reports of boat pushbacks in South-east Asia
The UN refugee agency is extremely alarmed at reports suggesting that Indonesia and Malaysia may have pushed back boats carrying vulnerable people from Myanmar and Bangladesh.
On Monday the Indonesian navy stated that it had escorted a boat out to sea, although it is not clear if this represents a change in the government's policy. Yesterday Malaysia's Maritime Enforcement Agency announced that it would not let foreign ships dock unless they are unseaworthy and sinking.
As conflicts and persecution force more and more people to seek safety beyond international borders, UNHCR has been emphasizing the importance of saving lives on the high seas.
"The first priority is to save lives. Instead of competing to avoid responsibility, it is key for States to share the responsibility to disembark these people immediately," said Volker Türk, UNHCR's Assistant High Commissioner for Protection.
"Sea crossings are a symptom of desperation as people are left with no other choice but to risk their lives," Mr Türk said. He reiterated the agency's global call for legal alternatives to access protection and safety, "Nobody should have to put their lives into the hands of ruthless smugglers."
In South-east Asia, several thousand people are believed to be stranded on smugglers' boats in the Andaman Sea and Straits of Malacca, likely abandoned by their crews amid government crackdowns against traffickers. UNHCR is urging governments to facilitate disembarkation and keep their borders and ports open to prevent a humanitarian crisis at sea.
UNHCR is asking countries in South-east Asia to approach this as a regional issue with real human consequences as it has been engaging governments in the region on the growing problem of irregular maritime movements. The agency has been sharing information collected from interviews with hundreds of Rohingya who survived the journey, and offering concrete suggestions on coordinated responses.
Once the humanitarian needs are met, agencies like UNHCR can support States to interview the different groups and target solutions to their specific needs, as those being rescued are likely to be a mix of refugees, economic migrants, victims of trafficking, unaccompanied and separated children among those being smuggled.
The current situation highlights the urgent need for regional cooperation to address the challenge of irregular maritime movements. Through the Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime, UNHCR has been advocating for coordinated regional responses to search and rescue, disembarkation, needs identification and solutions.
For more information on this topic, please contact:
- In Bangkok, Vivian Tan on mobile +66 818 270 280
- In Geneva, Babar Baloch on mobile +41 79 557 9106
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Volker Türk Discussion Forum on Climate Change, Berlin, 2014
17 Jun 2014 ... Discussion Forum on Climate Change – Remarks of Volker Türk 1 | P a g e Discussion Forum on Climate Change (Berlin, 17 June 2014) Remarks by Volker Türk Director of International Protection UNHCR ...... -
Keynote Address by Volker Türk on UNHCR's Role in Supervising International Standards in the Context of its Mandate, York University, Toronto, Canada, 17-20 May 2010
19 May 2010 ... ... see Volker Türk, UNHCR’s Supervisory Responsibility, Revue Québécoise de Droit International, vol. 14.1 (2001), pp 143-145, http://www.sqdi.org/volumes/pdf/14.1_-_turk.pdf. 5 See ...... -
Remarks by Volker Türk, Director of International Protection, at the Discussion Forum on Climate Change, Berlin 17 June 2014
17 Jun 2014 ... Discussion Forum on Climate Change – Remarks of Volker Türk 1 | P a g e Discussion Forum on Climate Change (Berlin, 17 June 2014) Remarks by Volker Türk Director of International Protection UNHCR ...... -
Thematic discussions
... cooperation to share responsibilities.” Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, Volker Türk UNHCR convened five thematic discussions in the second half of 2017 to consider and ...... -
Keynote Address by Volker Türk, Director, Division of International Protection, UNHCR, to the Conference organized by the Canadian Association for Refugee and Forced Migration Studies (CARFMS), York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 16-18 May 2012
21 May 2012 ... DYNAMICS OF DISPLACEMENT” Keynote Address by Volker Türk, Director of International Protection 16 ... income countries, such as Thailand, Malaysia, Turkey, South Africa and Ecuador. 2 We have also been ...... -
Statement by Volker Türk, Assistant High Commissioner for Protection. IMO High-Level Meeting to Address Unsafe Mixed Migration by Sea, London. 4 March 2015
4 Mar 2015 ... Address Unsafe Mixed Migration by Sea London Volker Türk Assistant High Commissioner for ... Over 1.6 million Syrian refugees are being hosted by Turkey. Nearly 1.2 million have fled to ...... -
Statement by Volker Türk, Director of International Protection to the 64th Session of the Executive Committee of the High Commissioner's Programme
3 Oct 2013 ... Programme Agenda point 5(a) Statement by Volker Türk Director of International Protection It ... Angola, Botswana, the Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Turkey; many of which focus on the RSD process. ...... -
Statement by Volker Türk, Director of International Protection to the 65th Session of the Executive Committee of the High Commissioner's Programme
3 Oct 2014 ... Programme Agenda item 5(a) Statement by Volker Türk Director of International Protection Mr ... select countries in the Americas, as well as Turkey and Morocco, in improving their asylum systems. ...... -
Volker Türk explains the global compact on refugees
30 Aug 2018 ... 0 UNHCR protection head details how a new deal for refugees will help both refugees and host communities Volker Turk explains why the new global refugee compact matters...