Government aims to register 26,000 refugees by end-2027, DPP only for those who arrived before March 2023

The government aims to register about 26,000 refugees by the end of 2027 under the Refugee Registration Document (DPP) programme, says Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail. Only those who entered Malaysia before March 2023 are eligible.

Saifuddin said this during Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday, 13 October. He was replying to Jimmy Puah Wee Tse (PH-Tebrau) and Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin (PN-Putrajaya), who asked about the DPP's targets and whether the system could encourage more refugees to come to Malaysia.

6,000 this year, 20,000 next year

This year's target is about 6,000 people: around 4,000 held in immigration depots and another 2,000 living in the community.

"Next year, once we get better at the process, we will raise our target to 20,000," he said, according to Free Malaysia Today.

Why the March 2023 cut-off

Saifuddin said the cut-off date was set so that the registration system does not become an enticement for more refugees to enter the country, The Star reported.

"Those who enter the country following this will not be considered under the DPP. This eliminates the pull factor," he said.

Why the government wants its own data

Saifuddin said the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has recorded about 225,000 refugees in Malaysia. But the government does not have enough information on who they are, where they are, or whether they have gone through security checks.

Under the DPP, each person is interviewed, screened by the police and Immigration, and registered biometrically before the government decides whether to recognise them as a refugee. Saifuddin said this data can be used to draw up policy and decide on suitable enforcement measures.

Work opportunities under study

Asked whether registered refugees could be allowed to work, Saifuddin said the government is considering using the information collected to match them with employers facing labour shortages. This covers manufacturing, plantations, agriculture, construction and services, as an alternative to bringing in more foreign workers.

Don't take matters into your own hands

Puah also raised videos showing individuals confronting refugees and demanding to see their UNHCR cards. Saifuddin urged the public not to take matters into their own hands.

"The best way to maintain order in a country is to leave it to the authorities. That means avoiding taking action on your own," he said.

What is the DPP

The DPP was announced in November 2025 by Deputy Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah and has been in place since 1 January 2026. It follows National Security Council Order No 23 and replaces the registration system run by UNHCR, Bernama reported. Those confirmed as refugees receive a DPP card, the only identification document the government recognises, for a temporary stay in Peninsular Malaysia.

The first phase covers detainees in immigration depots. In a written reply in July, Saifuddin said the ministry had recorded 4,010 detainees, 4,008 of them Myanmar nationals of Rohingya ethnicity. A total of 78 people had been recognised as refugees and 25 found eligible to work.

According to the same reply, the second phase, for UNHCR cardholders and people who say they are refugees living outside detention centres, was scheduled to begin in the second half of 2026.

What's next

The Home Ministry aims to finish the registration exercise by 31 December 2029. Saifuddin also told the Dewan Rakyat that Myanmar has agreed to take back its nationals from all ethnic groups and bear the cost of their repatriation. This was discussed at Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's meeting with Myanmar president Min Aung Hlaing last week.

Sources

• Free Malaysia Today, Govt aims to register 26,000 refugees by end of 2027, 13 October 2026
• The Star, Refugee Registration Document only for those who entered Malaysia before March 2023, 13 October 2026
• Bernama, via Malay Mail, Govt to launch refugee registration document system from January 1, 2026, says deputy home minister, 25 November 2025
• Malay Mail, Home minister says 78 Rohingya granted refugee status, 25 eligible for work under DPP pilot scheme, 9 July 2026