Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs written question – answered at on 18 May 2011.
Valerie Vaz
Labour, Walsall South
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his Malaysian counterpart on (a) the right of refugees from Burma to live and work in Malaysia, (b) attendance by children of such refugees in government schools and (c) conditions in immigration centres.
Jeremy Browne
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office
holding answer
Malaysia is not a state party to the convention and protocol relating to the status of refugees. Malaysia therefore classifies all undocumented migrants as illegal immigrants under their Immigration Act.
Officials at our high commission in Kuala Lumpur maintain contact with Malaysian officials at the Ministry of Home Affairs, raising issues of refugees and migration. Our high commission staff are also in regular contact with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Kuala Lumpur and other domestic and international non-governmental organisations.
In October 2010 the EU delegation discussed the rights of refugees from Burma to live and work in Malaysia with the Malaysian Ministry of Home Affairs during the visit of a UNHCR team. The issue of refugees will be discussed at the negotiations of an EU-Malaysia partnership and co-operation agreement.
Yes1 person thinks so
No0 people think not
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Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
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