Refugees of the Philippines

Last updated

Displaced Filipinos
Pulau Gaya immigrant dwellings.jpg
Gaya Island features the large settlement of Pondo Village, one example of the legacy of Filipino refugees in Sabah who were fleeing the Moro conflict in their home country. [1]
Total population
~80,000
Regions with significant populations
Flag of Malaysia.svg Malaysia 80,000 (UN estimate) [2] [note 1]
Flag of Indonesia.svg Indonesia 544 (2014) [7]

Filipino refugees are persons originating from the country of the Philippines. Following the Moro conflict and subsequent major military operation in the islands of Mindanao during the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos in the 1970s. [8] Thousands of Filipinos, mainly of Moro ancestry, have sought refuge in the neighbouring countries of Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei, with the majority of them mostly heading to the state of Sabah in Malaysia. [9] [10]

Contents

Reasons for fleeing

In addition to armed conflict in the southern Philippines, many Filipinos flee due to economic factors and hope for a better life. Many are reluctant to return to their homeland that continues to be torn by violence and kidnappings. [3] [8]

Host countries

Malaysia

Tausug refugee kids in water Kids on the Water.JPG
Tausug refugee kids in water

Since the 1970s, thousands of Filipino refugees have emigrated to the state of Sabah, forcing the need for maintenance of the refugees. As Malaysia is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, the country has maintained that any newly arrived aliens are illegal immigrants rather than refugees. [2] [11] Although unlike the economically motivated illegal immigrants, the Filipino refugees have long been granted special permission to stay despite limited access to state employment, social services and public amenities. [10]

The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) established its office in the state in 1977, with around $2.7 million having been allocated for the maintenance of the refugees' children's education, with most of it being allocated to the Sandakan area. [5] Despite this, however, the Philippines side constantly accused the Malaysian side, especially the Sabah authorities, of victimising the refugees with the dismissal of their workers by Sabah businessmen. [5]

The total of Filipino refugees was only 20,367 in the first quarter of 1970. By 1978, it increased to over 92,000, with a non-official estimate putting the total already at 140,000. [6] The refugees rose to over 350,000 in 1989. As there was still no definite sign the conflict would permanently stop, the influx of Filipino refugees continued even after the peace agreement with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in 1976. [6]

Following the government decision to issue residency visas and a special card known as the IMM13 to the refugees, the UNHCR closed its office in 1987 after operating for 10 years. [2] [12] [13] [14] To this date, the main office is being maintained in Kuala Lumpur. [15]

Indonesia

As there is no official estimate of the total of Filipino refugees in Indonesia, the exact population is unknown. Recent findings in 2014 found there are at least 544 Filipino refugees (mostly from the Bajau community) taking shelter in Derawan Island, Berau Regency, East Kalimantan. [7] It is believed their presence began in 2010, with some of the refugees claiming they are Malaysian citizens, although they were found with a special document released by the Malaysian government which stated they are not citizens of that country during an identity check-up by the Indonesian authorities. [16] Responding to the report, Indonesian President Joko Widodo ordered them to be sent back to their country in the Philippines immediately, [17] although it is still unknown whether the process of deportation has begun. Nunukan Regency in North Kalimantan also reportedly saw a large Filipino refugee presence as recently as early 2017. [18]

Aid

Issues

The UNHCR office in the Malaysian state of Sabah has been giving aid to the refugees for a period of 10 years; [12] however, following the closure of its office, many of the refugees have been roaming in and around Sabah. [14] Following the release of the report from the Royal Commission of Inquiry on illegal immigrants in Sabah (RCI), which stated many of the Filipino refugees have illegally obtained Malaysian citizenship, the UNHCR began monitoring the situation. [19] However, since the UNHCR did not have any permanent presence in the state anymore, the monitoring capacity was limited. [20]

As the Philippines never had the intention to establish its consulate in the Malaysian state of Sabah to look after the welfare of its citizens, [21] the blame was also put on the Philippines side for its lack of co-operation, as the country continuously criticised the treatment towards its refugees without giving more of its efforts to help and solve the problems of its own citizens. [22] [23]

By the end of 2014, UNHCR Malaysia, together with UNICEF, plans to support local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to conduct a workshop on birth registration which will involve different government agencies, such as the Malaysian National Registration Department, local legal practitioners, and relevant stakeholders. [12] Filipino refugee children also have been enrolled in the recently established Alternative Learning Centre (ALC) that was set up by Filipino volunteers in Sabah in collaboration with various local NGOs. [24]

By 2016, under the Philippines administration reform of President Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippine government began to sign a deal with the Malaysian government for the gradual repatriation of Filipino refugees in Sabah. [25] The Philippines side also announced their plan to establish a consular office in the state along with the establishment of their own school and hospital to care for their nationals as had been recommended previously. [26] However, according to Philippine Representative from Palawan Jose C. Alvarez, they are more interested in establishing a Palawan Business Office in the state than a Philippine Office that will also give the similar services like passport granting, renewal of travel documents and other requirements, as well as extend business assistance to the Filipino people when the need arises, giving excuses that it is only proper and logical to set up the main office if there are an increasing number of Filipino traders, especially from Palawan. [27]

The Filipinos in the state expressed their hopes that more attention will be given from the Filipino consular services, especially on easy and better access to communication facilities, a more friendly attitude from embassy officials and staff and transparency in all official transactions, as they had repeatedly expressed their dissatisfaction over how the manner of consular missions was conducted with the presence of "middlemen", delays in deliveries of travel documents, difficulties in telephoning the main Philippine embassy in Kuala Lumpur and rudeness of some of the embassy officials and staff. [28]

Durable solution

Repatriation

The Malaysian government is criticised for its contrast policy in dealing with refugees, with different treatments having been compared between the non-Muslim Vietnamese refugees, which are quickly being repatriated, and the Muslim Filipino refugees, which are still being maintained in the country until this day. [6] [29] In defending the presence of Filipino refugees, Ghazali Shafie who is the Home Minister at the time justified their position with the support of Deputy Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad:

Their presence will not have adverse effects on the peace and order of the country because they intended to go back whereas the presence of Vietnamese immigrants could have adverse consequences on the country as they had no intention of returning to their homeland after the war. [6]
Ghazali Shafie, Malaysian Home Minister.

Most of the Filipino refugees are issued with IMM13 documents by the Malaysian government during the Mahathir administration, [30] with many of them having been controversially naturalised as citizens. [29] [31] [32]

Repatriation of Filipino refugees remains difficult due to the ongoing conflict in the southern Philippines. [9] [33] The latest peace deal between the Government of the Philippines and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is a step towards peace and stability in the southern Philippines. [3] The MILF have been welcoming the return of Filipino refugees from Malaysia as the peace is being gradually restored in their homeland. [32] The International Monitoring Team (IMT) led by Malaysia has also been monitoring the ceasefire between the Philippine government and MILF since 2010 and hopes that the new administration of the Philippine government will put an end to the refugee issues which have been plaguing the bilateral relations between the two countries. [34]

Groups such as the MNLF under Nur Misuari have recently staged violent attacks to oppose the peace agreement between the MILF and the Philippine government forces, with the latest major attack resulting in the Zamboanga City crisis in late 2013, [35] which presents an obstacle to repatriation and led to another new wave of refugees. In March 2017, a Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro was initiated between the central government of the Philippines and the MILF, witnessed by Malaysia, for the establishment of Bangsamoro in the southern Philippines as a replacement of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) to establish a permanent peace within the region. Following the realisation, the MILF urged Filipino refugees in Sabah to return to redevelop their homeland. [32]

Hosting refugees

There are at least five camps for the Filipino refugees in Malaysia, such as in Kinarut in Papar, Telipok in Kota Kinabalu, Bahagia Village in Sandakan, Selamat Village in Semporna, [13] and Hidayat Village in Tawau, with many Sabah local politicians having repeatedly urged the closure of the camps and repatriation of the refugees to their home country, as the camps have become the source of many criminal activities perpetrated by the refugees. [36]

In late 2016, the Sabah state government submitted recommendations to the Malaysian federal government through the Main Committee on Management of Foreigners to move all the refugee placement schemes in the state to other more suitable locations far from the towns and industrial development areas. [37] Further, in 2019, under a new Malaysian government, the IMM13 document for refugees from the southern Philippines is being replaced with the Temporary Sabah Pass (PSS) to solve the problems once and for all which have been ongoing since the 1970s, where the old document was misused by the refugees, subsequently posing threats to the security of the state. [38]

Criticism of refugee settlements and Malaysian authorities

The huge Filipino refugee settlements in Sabah have been mainly criticised by the locals there for contributing to the significant rise of rampant crimes, [39] with the refugees' loyalty towards the country they are seeking refuge in also being questioned for the unstoppable crimes perpetrated from their own community, [40] as a Filipino man was recently charged in court as recently as 2017 for supporting the extreme ideology of the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group. [41]

The influx of Filipino refugees was also partly blamed on the Malaysian authorities since the latter support the insurgency in the southern Philippines, which subsequently caused the war and violence that destroyed many of the Moros' homes in Sulu and Mindanao, a violence arising out of the Moro conflict, an insurgency against the Philippine government which the Malaysian government publicly supported until the year 2001. [42] Many in the Philippines also believed that this was done to counteract reconquest attempts by the presently defunct Sultanate of Sulu, which are partly supported by certain politicians in the Philippines. Malaysia is criticised for being responsible for the war in the Philippines since the confession by their previous prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad, yet they refuse to host refugees from the war they themselves caused. [42] The Filipino refugees also feel trapped, as they were not considered as Filipino citizens by their origin country government, and the present country they are living in, Malaysia, refuses to grant citizenship to many such refugees, classifying them as a stateless people. [43]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ 60,000 (2012), [3] 73,000 (2013) [4]
    Decrease Positive.svg down from 120,000 (1986) [5] – 350,000 (1989) [6] (Registered refugees)

References

  1. ↑ Richmond, Simon (2007). Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei. Ediz. Inglese. Lonely Planet. p. 435. ISBN   978-1-74059-708-1.
  2. 1 2 3 "Submission by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees – For the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights' Compilation Report – Universal Periodic Review: MALAYSIA". United Nations High Commission for Refugees. 2014. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 "Peace deal sealed but to most Filipino refugees, Malaysia is home". Philippine Daily Inquirer. October 11, 2012. Archived from the original on April 7, 2017. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  4. ↑ "73,000 Filipino refugees registered in Sabah". The Borneo Post. January 16, 2013. Archived from the original on April 7, 2017. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 Hiew, Eddy (October 28, 1986). "Refugees not being victimised, says UNHCR". New Straits Times. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Lim, Regina (2008). Federal-state Relations in Sabah, Malaysia: The Berjaya Administration, 1976–85. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. p. 114. ISBN   978-981-230-812-2.
  7. 1 2 Necolsen, Geafry; Umardini, Trinilo (November 24, 2014). "Jumlah Orang Asing di Berau Bertambah jadi 544 Orang" [The Number of Foreigners in Berau Increases to 544 People]. Tribun Kaltim (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on April 8, 2017. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
  8. 1 2 Zolberg, Aristide R.; Suhrke, Astri; Aguayo, Sergio (August 10, 1989). Escape from Violence: Conflict and the Refugee Crisis in the Developing World. Oxford University Press. p. 175. ISBN   978-0-19-536362-3.
  9. 1 2 "Sabah fears new influx of Filipinos". New Straits Times. February 11, 1986. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  10. 1 2 Kassim, Azizah (2009). "Filipino Refugees in Sabah: State Responses, Public Stereotypes and the Dilemma Over Their Future" (PDF). Southeast Asian Studies. Retrieved April 8, 2017– via Kyoto University.
  11. ↑ Ng, Franklin (1998). The History and Immigration of Asian Americans. Taylor & Francis. p. 177. ISBN   978-0-8153-2690-8.
  12. 1 2 3 "Filipino Refugees in Sabah [2015]". United Nations High Commission for Refugees. 2015. Archived from the original on April 8, 2017. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  13. 1 2 Mu, Paul (December 7, 2014). "Berjaya govt let 73,000 refugees into Sabah". New Sabah Times. Archived from the original on December 16, 2014. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  14. 1 2 "UNHCR Sabah office to close". New Straits Times. April 17, 1987. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
  15. ↑ Supaat, DI (2014). "UNHCR Office In Kuala Lumpur" (PDF). South East Asian Journal of Contemporary Business, Economics and Law. 5 (4). South East Asia Journal of Contemporary Business, Economics and Law. ISSN   2289-1560 . Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  16. ↑ Necolsen, Geafry; Umardini, Trinilo (November 25, 2014). "Manusia Perahu Berdatangan ke Kaltim sejak 2010" [Boat People Coming to Kaltim since 2010]. Tribun Kaltim (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on April 8, 2017. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
  17. ↑ Bayasut, Ahmad (November 26, 2014). "Jokowi Ingin Pulangkan Manusia Perahu dari Berau" [Jokowi Wants to Repatriate Boat People from Berau]. Tribun Kaltim (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on April 8, 2017. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
  18. ↑ Ruru, Niko; Umardini, Trinilo (March 2, 2017). "Diduga Banyak Warga Filipina, Imigrasi akan Sisir Pinggiran Sungai" [Many Filipinos are there, Immigration Department will comb the riverbanks]. Tribun Kaltim (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on April 8, 2017. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
  19. ↑ "Filipino Refugees in Sabah [2014]". United Nations High Commission for Refugees. 2014. Archived from the original on April 2, 2017. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  20. ↑ "Filipino Refugees in Sabah [2016]". United Nations High Commission for Refugees. 2016. Archived from the original on April 8, 2017. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  21. ↑ "Locsin: Setting up Sabah embassy an act of 'treason'". ABS-CBN News. April 20, 2019. Archived from the original on September 8, 2019. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  22. ↑ "Manila to blame, says PBS". Daily Express. December 15, 2014. Archived from the original on December 15, 2014. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  23. ↑ "Emulate Indonesian govt in taking care of citizens in Sabah, Philippine leaders told". The Rakyat Post. December 16, 2014. Archived from the original on April 8, 2017. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  24. ↑ "DepEd expands educ access for Filipino children in Sabah". Department of Education, Philippines . September 10, 2014. Archived from the original on August 17, 2016. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  25. ↑ Ranada, Pia (November 11, 2016). "PH, Malaysia agree on repatriation of Filipinos in Sabah". Rappler. Archived from the original on April 8, 2017. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  26. ↑ Colina IV, Antonio L. (January 25, 2017). "Cross border trade between Malaysia and ARMM's island provinces to reopen on Feb. 1". Minda News. Archived from the original on February 1, 2017. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  27. ↑ Fabian, Nikko (April 16, 2017). "Palawan plans to set up business office in Sabah". Daily Express. Archived from the original on April 16, 2017. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
  28. ↑ Fabian, Nikko (April 20, 2017). "Sabah Filipinos hope for better consular services". Daily Express. Archived from the original on April 20, 2017. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  29. 1 2 Vern Tham, Jia (December 26, 2016). "Why do certain refugees get VIP treatment over others in Malaysia?". cilisos.my. Archived from the original on December 27, 2016. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  30. ↑ "Apakah Pas IMM 13" [What is the IMM 13 Pass?]. Attorney General's Chamber (Malaysia) (in Malay). July 11, 2012. Archived from the original on January 31, 2017. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
  31. ↑ Sadiq, Kamal (December 2, 2008). Paper Citizens: How Illegal Immigrants Acquire Citizenship in Developing Countries. Oxford University Press. pp. 47–50. ISBN   978-0-19-970780-5.
  32. 1 2 3 "Filipino refugees in Sabah urged to go back". Bernama. January 20, 2013. Archived from the original on April 8, 2017. Retrieved April 8, 2017– via Daily Express.
  33. ↑ "Solving the Filipino refugee problem". Bernama. September 13, 1986. Retrieved April 7, 2017– via New Straits Times.
  34. ↑ "Philippines Government Urged to Address Refugee Issue". Voice of America. June 23, 2010. Archived from the original on April 8, 2017. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  35. ↑ Fonbuena, Carmela Fonbuena (January 25, 2014). "MNLF will pursue independence, AFP vows to stop 'spoilers'". Rappler. Archived from the original on April 7, 2017. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  36. ↑ "Closure of Filipino refugee camps in Malaysia sought". GMA News. April 19, 2007. Archived from the original on April 7, 2017. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
     • "Sabah MPs urge govt to resolve immigrant issue". Bernama. May 14, 2008. Archived from the original on February 25, 2016. Retrieved April 8, 2017– via The Brunei Times.
     • "Relocate migrants to border islands: PKR". Daily Express. February 18, 2016. Archived from the original on April 7, 2017. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
     •Patrick, Tracy (February 26, 2017). "Sleepless nights for Likas residents as thieves get bolder". Daily Express. Archived from the original on February 27, 2017. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  37. ↑ "Sabah government to submit recommendations to move refugee placement schemes". Bernama. November 24, 2016. Archived from the original on April 8, 2017. Retrieved April 8, 2017– via The Sun.
  38. ↑ "Temporary Sabah Pass shows Home Ministry's earnestness, says Liew". Bernama. September 7, 2019. Archived from the original on September 8, 2019. Retrieved September 8, 2019– via The Sun.
  39. ↑ "Pinoy convicted of raping 3 minors in Sabah". GMA News. February 10, 2015. Archived from the original on April 16, 2017. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
     • "Filipino Clad In Scout's Uniform Detained For Raping – Sabah Police Commissioner". Bernama. February 6, 2016. Archived from the original on April 16, 2017. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
     • "Raping girlfriend, 14: Filipino gets 12 years". Daily Express. July 1, 2016. Archived from the original on April 16, 2017. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
     • "Hotel worker gets 12-year-sentence for raping a minor". The Filipino Times. July 3, 2016. Archived from the original on April 16, 2017. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
     • "Five held over theft at transmission station". Daily Express. March 8, 2017. Archived from the original on April 8, 2017. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
     • "Cops bust robbery, break-in gang". The Borneo Post. May 28, 2016. Archived from the original on April 8, 2017. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
     • "Cops detain 13 people involved in stealing e-components from telcos". The Borneo Post. March 8, 2017. Archived from the original on April 8, 2017. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
     •Jikur, Mardinah (April 8, 2017). "Woman sustains 11 slash wounds in S'kan robbery". Daily Express. Archived from the original on April 8, 2017. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
     • "Man stabbed in attack by eight in Penampang". The Borneo Post. April 16, 2017. Archived from the original on April 16, 2017. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
  40. ↑ "Sabah kidnappers may have had inside help". The Standard. March 4, 2014. Archived from the original on November 6, 2015. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
     •Nawal, Allan (November 5, 2015). "Malaysian employers warned in hiring Filipino, foreign staff". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on November 5, 2015. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
     •Rohmah, Ainur (September 27, 2016). "Indonesia suspects 'spy' helping Abu Sayyaf abductions". Anadolu Agency. Archived from the original on September 28, 2016. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
     • "'Don't use P'pine names for kampungs in Sabah'". Daily Express. November 4, 2015. Archived from the original on November 5, 2015. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  41. ↑ "Charged with supporting Abu Sayyaf". Daily Express. April 6, 2017. Archived from the original on April 7, 2017. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  42. 1 2 "Philippines rebel leader arrested". BBC News. November 25, 2001. Archived from the original on September 26, 2015. Retrieved September 26, 2015. Malaysia's Inspector-General of Police Norian Mai said Mr Misuari and six of his followers were arrested at 3.30 am on Saturday (1930 GMT Friday) on Jampiras island off Sabah state. Manila had ordered his arrest on charges of instigating a rebellion after the government suspended his governorship of an autonomous Muslim region in Mindanao, the ARMM. Although the Philippines has no extradition treaty with Malaysia, the authorities have already made clear that they intend to hand Mr Misuari over to the authorities in Manila as soon as possible. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad had said before the arrest that, although his country had provided support to the rebel group in the past in its bid for autonomy, Mr Misuari had not used his powers correctly. "Therefore, we no longer feel responsible to provide him with any assistance," he said.
  43. ↑ Sadiq, Kamal (2005). "When States Prefer Non-Citizens over Citizens: Conflict over Illegal Immigration into Malaysia" . International Studies Quarterly, Oxford University Press. 49 (1): 101–122. JSTOR   3693626 . Retrieved October 30, 2025.
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