6P-type Program for Burmese Migrants in Malaysia

It has been a while since we checked in on Malaysia.

Burmese Migrants in Malaysia Face Registration Woes (Relief Web)

“The inclusion of their biodata within a government database will lead to greater protection for refugees, particularly against arrest and detention as their identities can be easily verified by law enforcement officials,” said UNHCR representative Alan Vernon at the time.

“This will also help prevent prosecution of persons holding UNHCR documents for immigration offenses or deportation,” he added.

The UNHCR refugee registration program was scheduled to begin in January 2012. However, it has not started yet due to technical problems, according to a person familiar with program who asked to remain anonymous.

But acceptance into a 6P-based scheme does not guarantee an easy ride for Burmese migrants working in Malaysia, with many current 6P participants finding themselves worse off than before.

I love to read about how such a wide variety of organizations apply biometric ID management technology to challenges. Burmese refugees don't get a lot of attention in the global press so this article is very informative.