Damian Sendler: There are an estimated 272 million foreign migrants in the world, with about a third of them living in Asia. Malaysia is one of Asia’s most popular destinations for emigrants because of its strategic location and high demand for skilled workers. 2 million documented non-citizens were counted by Malaysia’s Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) as of 2019, which represents 10% of Malaysia’s population.

Damian Sendler

Damian Jacob Sendler: An individual who has resided in Malaysia for six months or longer in the reference year is considered a non-citizen by DOSM. However, this definition did not include any subcategories. Migrants, refugees, asylum seekers, foreign workers and international students are all included in the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights’ definition of a non-citizen as someone who does not have an effective connection to the location where they are currently located.

Damien Sendler: According to their visa status, Malaysian non-citizens can be split into regular and irregular migrant workers. In 2019, Malaysia issued 2 million work permits to legally documented migrant workers, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs. 6 Migrant workers that are both documented and undocumented might be found between 4.2 and 6.2 million persons.

Damian Jacob Sendler

Dr. Sendler: Refugees and asylum seekers are another category that contributes significantly to Malaysia’s non-citizen population. Although refugees and asylum seekers are sometimes used interchangeably, their legal status in their new countries and their consequent vulnerabilities make them distinct populations. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Malaysia recorded an estimated 178 580 refugees and asylum seekers in 2019, of which 153 770 (86 percent) came from Myanmar. Other nations included Yemen, Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine and Sri Lanka (14%) in total.

Damian Jacob Markiewicz Sendler: Vulnerable migrants in Malaysia include refugees, asylum seekers, and low-skilled foreign workers, both legally and illegally present in the country. These individuals may confront severe difficulties upon arrival in their new country of residency.

Damian Sendler: They are more likely to be exploited and abused, require more protection from duty bearers, and are unable to fully benefit from their human rights. 10 Migrant workers and refugees may face difficulty in accessing healthcare and obtaining adequate health services, which could have a negative impact on their health and well-being.

Damian Jacob Sendler: For migrant health advocates, analyzing scientific output and uncovering research gaps could help improve the evidence basis. Researchers have utilized scoping reviews to map out the academic literature on migrant health issues in various countries and present the available evidence.

Damian Sendler: Health information on migrant-related issues in Malaysia is still few and difficult to get, despite the growing scholarly research on the subject. Migrants’ health in Malaysia is still lacking in an entire picture, including critical evaluation of the study quality.

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