A Call for Reforming UNHCR for Pakistani Christian Asylum seekers & refugees. By Bishop Farhad S. Bhatti

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Improving the Online Request for Registration Process for Pakistani Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Malaysia, Pakistani asylum seekers and refugees, particularly from persecuted Christian communities, face challenges in seeking secure UNHCR registration through the current online system. While intended to ease the registration process, this approach has also exposed applicants to potential` risks, including detainment and deportation, especially for those with limited legal documentation. Therefore, a review of the online process by UNHCR is crucial to ensure the protection and accessibility of this service for vulnerable groups.

Many asylum seekers rely on UNHCR’s online registration system as a first step toward official recognition as “legal” Asylum seekers for refugee and assistance. However, this system has created risks for some applicants by making it hard for them to seek the support they urgently need. A streamlined, safe process would help asylum seekers maintain stability and trust within their communities.

Positive Steps toward Improving Security and Accessibility

Changing and new Communities leaders, particularly those dedicated can play a key role in advocating for these changes to supporting Pakistani Christian asylum seekers. Such leadership could foster better communication between asylum seekers and UNHCR, increasing confidence and ensuring the community’s leader needs must be understood on local level.  

To help asylum seekers navigate these challenges, collaborative efforts with communities of different areas and organizations, legal aid groups, and the UNHCR could also support the development of secure and accessible channels for communication and assistance.

While the online registration system provides benefits such as accessibility and flexibility, addressing its current limitations will make it safer and more effective for all. By refining this system, UNHCR can protect asylum seekers’ rights, build trust within persecuted communities, and fulfill its mission to support grieved humanity, those most in need of international protection.

Challenges and Benefits of the Current Online Registration Process for Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Malaysia

Challenges: Access Issues: Limited technology access, language barriers, and lack of in-person support create difficulties in completing the process for many. Privacy Concerns: Online submissions can expose applicants’ information, increasing risks of detention or deportation. Long Waiting Periods: Overloaded systems result in long waiting times, frustrating those in urgent need. High Stress: Uncertainty and lack of immediate responses add mental strain on applicants.

Benefits: Flexible Access: People can apply from anywhere with internet, reducing travel requirements. Efficient Process: Digital applications simplify paperwork, making parts of the process more efficient. Privacy and Health Safety: Online submission reduces direct contact and may offer increased privacy. Digital Tracking: Online applications create clear records, helping applicants track their cases.

These points emphasize the need for UNHCR to refine the online registration system to address the unique challenges facing Pakistani asylum seekers, especially those from persecuted communities. With a more inclusive, secure, and responsive registration system, UNHCR can foster hope, confidence, and stability for those in need.

Long Waits for Initial UNHCR Interview in Malaysia: Challenges and Human Impact

In Malaysia, waiting for an initial call from the UNHCR is seen as a significant milestone for asylum seekers, as it grants them legal recognition as registered asylum seekers, even if they are not yet officially recognized as refugees. This initial registration brings temporary security and legitimacy, allowing asylum seekers to live with some protection under UNHCR observation. However, obtaining this first call can take several years, it is insulting of grieved humanity waiting for up to years or longer, leaving their lives in prolonged uncertainty without picture QR code letter.

Over the years, patterns among Pakistani asylum seekers, especially those from Christian communities, reveal that the long wait does not guarantee success in their cases. Many families who waited 10 to 14 years received rejections, facing eventual deportation or uncertain futures after investing much of their lives in Malaysia. This lengthy process impacts not only the adults but, critically, the children in these families who spend their formative years in an environment with limited rights and restricted access to formal education, leaving them vulnerable and without a stable foundation for their future.

For children born to these families, the lack of education opportunities creates additional hardships. Most are unable to attend public schools and rely on volunteer-based education initiatives or private institutions, which may not always be affordable or accessible. As a result, these children’s futures are deeply affected by the uncertainty of their parents’ asylum claims. They grow up in Malaysia with limited rights, facing language, social, and legal barriers that hinder their personal development and future opportunities.

These Pakistani Christian asylum seekers are human beings, individuals with hopes, dreams, and aspirations for a stable life. They seek protection and dignity as they await an official refugee status determination. It is essential for UNHCR Malaysia to prioritize cases that have been pending for extended periods, considering both the length of time these individuals have waited and the impact it has on their lives. Addressing the backlog in a humane, efficient, and transparent manner is vital to providing these families, especially the children, with a chance to build secure futures.

Improving the efficiency and transparency of the registration process would not only alleviate the uncertainty faced by these individuals but also reinforce UNHCR’s commitment to upholding human dignity and international protection standards. Families who have been awaiting decisions for over a decade deserve to have their cases reviewed with consideration for the time they have spent in Malaysia, their contributions to the community, and their basic human rights to stability and security.

Daily Survival Challenges for Persecuted Asylum-Seeking Families in Malaysia

For Pakistani asylum seekers in Malaysia, especially persecuted Christian families, daily survival presents a significant challenge due to restricted rights to employment and constant threats to their security. Without legal permission to work, many asylum seekers are forced into informal, low-paying jobs to provide for their families. The risks they face while attempting to earn a living are high, as they can be arrested, detained, or even deported if caught working without authorization.

Unbearable Stress and Anxiety: The Daily Reality for Persecuted Asylum Seekers in Malaysia

For Pakistani asylum-seeking families in Malaysia, particularly those persecuted for their faith or standing up for truth and righteousness, the constant stress and anxiety are a profound and invisible burden. Every day is filled with overwhelming worries about basic survival—finding a way to pay rent, ensuring children can access even the most basic education, and scraping together enough for food. This continuous state of uncertainty is both a physical and mental struggle, one that often goes unaddressed and unacknowledged.

The fear of detention is a constant shadow. Without legal recognition, these families know that they could be arrested at any time for simply trying to survive, whether it’s earning a minimal wage to support their children or buying essentials like food and shelter. The anxiety this creates is deeply traumatizing; even routine daily tasks become sources of fear, as interactions with authorities or even neighbors can threaten their fragile stability.

Advocating for Relief and Support

International organizations, governments, and UNHCR are urged to consider these families’ psychological and physical suffering and take steps to reduce these intense burdens. Ensuring that asylum seekers have safe and legal means to earn a living, access healthcare, and provide stability for their children would offer them relief from the stress and fear that dominate their lives. By addressing these core needs, we acknowledge their right to live with dignity and respect, honoring their courage in seeking safety and their resilience in the face of adversity.

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