The IDC, along with UNHCR Malaysia, the National Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM), and the Malaysian Representative to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) organised a solutions-orientated consultation with key civil society stakeholders to discuss immigration detention and forced displacement in Malaysia.
The consultations, which took place on 5 February 2018, were attended by 85 participants from 35 organisations including refugee leaders, academics, think tanks, Commissioners and staff from SUHAKAM, and representatives from UNHCR and other UN agencies.
The consultations focused on examining current laws and policies relevant to forced migrants in Malaysia, as well as identifying positive examples of strategies for engaging government around alternatives to detention for vulnerable groups and improvements to detention conditions.
The consultations concluded with a group work session in which participants brainstormed on key issues and recommendations for government on developing alternatives to detention for vulnerable groups, addressing gaps and challenges in the arrest and detention process, and improving conditions of detention in Malaysia.