On International Workers’ Day on 1 May 586 undocumented migrants and refugees in Malaysia were rounded up and taken to detention buildings. The raid took place in three buildings in Kuala Lumpur that house an estimated 9,000 migrant workers, primarily from Bangladesh, Pakistan and India.
A Nepali worker who lives in one of the buildings said although Nepalis are a minority in the area, some 60-70 of them were caught in the May Day dragnet carried out by 350 officials in protective gear checking IDs.
“Luckily, all them had proper documents,” the worker said on the phone from Kuala Lumpur.
Another Nepali worker said the officials in masks and protective gowns came room to room in the apartment block, scanning IDs, and detained anyone who did not have proper work permits.
“There was a lot of commotion in the apartment, there were people, including children and older people, screaming while they were being led away,” the worker said.
Malaysian authorities said they were trying to contain the spread of the coronavirus, and to prevent migrant workers from moving freely making it difficult to track and contact trace if needed.
There are many undocumented Nepali workers in Malaysia and they are now at risk, since the 1 May raid is not seen to be a one-time event. Most undocumented Nepali workers have jobs as security guards or in eateries.
There are over 382,000 Nepali workers in Malaysia, mostly in manufacturing (75%), followed by service sector (21%) – they are second only to Indonesians. The number of Nepalis among the estimated million undocumented foreign workers in Malaysia is not known. In 2019, there were massive nationwide raids.
On 22 March Malaysia’s defence minister called on undocumented migrant workers to get tested, and promised that their legal status would not be checked, and no action would be taken if they were not documented.
However, the government appears to have done a U-turn and decided to raid the dorms.
“With job losses and the need to give priority to their own citizens, perhaps undocumented workers are the easiest to get rid of, but it was hypocritical to conduct the raid on May Day,” said a Nepali worker.
The United Nations has warned that these moves could further push migrant workers to the shadows, and prevent them from seeking treatment thus putting them and the general population at risk of infection.
An online campaign to protest raids on undocumented workers posted by Malaysian human rights activists.
There are also risks of spread in the detention areas that are overcrowded, although the workers who have been detained have reportedly tested negative. The living conditions make migrants more susceptible to the virus, but the public perception in Malaysia and Singapore has been the opposite – that they are spreading the ones spreading virus.
Even Nepalis displaced from their jobs have not been able to come home. This puts added pressure on Nepal to expedite bringing back its most vulnerable workers. Destination countries like Kuwait have declared amnesties to undocumented workers, including from Nepal, and even offered to play them home.
The pandemic has revealed the pre-existing fault-lines in the recruitment, employment and living situation of our workers abroad. During a crisis, workers appear to suffer from lack of protection from their own government back home, as well as from the host government.
Says the Nepali worker: “There are many reasons why Nepalis become undocumented workers in Malaysia through no fault of their own, and despite knowing the risks. Thankfully there are protests going on in the media, by human rights organisations and activists.”
from Nepali Times https://ift.tt/3fcmfyw
via IFTTT
No comments:
Post a Comment