‘I’m not welcome here’: Malaysian Rohingya refugees’ dreams shattered amid fears and prejudice over arrest

At first glance, 21-year-old Abu seems like an ordinary young man living in MalaysiaPenang State. He enjoys football, enjoys history, and spends his free time studying for entrance exams to US universities.

However, deep down Rohingya The refugee doubts that he will ever get a chance to get a higher education.

Abu’s family left their home in Myanmar – where the Rohingya are persecuted – almost 13 years ago in search of a brighter future in Malaysia, but ended up facing new challenges as Kuala Lumpur is not a signatory to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees or its 1967 Protocol.

Although the country currently does not have a legal or administrative framework for dealing with refugees, it is estimated to be home to approximately 190,000 refugees officially recognized by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), more than half of whom are Rohingya.

Rohingya are often classified as undocumented migrants and treated as such by immigration authorities. Registered refugees are prohibited from accessing formal employment, education or any legal protection in Malaysia.

However, these obstacles have not stopped many refugees in Malaysia from finding meaning and purpose by volunteering and helping their communities, all in the hope that they can inspire those who share their struggles.

Dreams about school