The government expects to obtain its first set of data on Myanmar refugees registered under the Refugee Registration Document (DPP) programme in the fourth quarter of this year, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said today.
He said the Ministry of Home Affairs, through the Immigration Department, was collecting the data with relevant agencies as part of efforts to establish more accurate and verifiable information on refugees in Malaysia.
“I expect we will get the first data in the fourth quarter of this year. Whatever the amount is, I will share it with the media later,” he said at a press conference after the launch of the Star City FC Tour Convoy in Putrajaya.
The DPP programme was introduced to compile biometric and identity information on individuals identified as refugees, in line with National Security Council Directive No. 23 (Revised 2023).
Saifuddin said the exercise would not be limited to Myanmar refugees but would cover all refugees identified as being in Malaysia.
Those confirmed as refugees would be prioritised for repatriation, with the process to be handled by the Foreign Ministry, he said.
“We are conducting data collection. We need to have a mechanism to approach these people and inform them that the Malaysian Government is conducting the exercise and ask them to come forward,” he said.
The government has not yet provided an estimate of the number of refugees expected to be captured in the initial dataset. Saifuddin said the figures would be shared once the first data was obtained.
