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In Malaysia, marginalised non-citizen children are excluded from formal education at public schools. Recognising education as a fundamental human right, the barriers and facilitators to educational access among refugee and asylum-seeker, migrant, stateless and undocumented children in Malaysia were explored. Qualitative data were collected via 32 in-depth interviews with multiple stakeholders. Data were thematically analysed and organised at three socio-ecological levels. At the ‘legislative and policy’ level, the requirement of citizenship documents only allows some stateless children to access public schools. Yet, many informal learning centres are not state-endorsed, as they are unable to fulfil licensing criteria. Importantly, denying the right to work for adult refugees and other undocumented people demotivates the pursuit of education among children. At the ‘individual and family’ level, financial constraints constitute a major reason for school dropouts, especially through expectations on boys to work. Cultural norms partly contribute to the lower enrolment of Rohingya refugee girls in secondary education, but gender parity is maintained for most in primary education. Another factor is proximity to learning centres, which links to safety concerns and transportation costs. Those who accessed public schools reported bullying by local children, which parallels institutional discrimination against marginalised non-citizens. At the ‘community and educational institutions’ level, inadequate funding for learning centres limits their ability to invest in physical facilities, teachers’ salaries and others. Despite difficult operating conditions, learning centres address diverse school readiness, educational backgrounds, and language competencies among students by having sensitised teachers, placement tests and preparatory classes at school entry, and options for vocational training. We propose the gradual inclusion of all children in public schools and the immediate state recognition and support of learning centres. Correspondingly, realising the ‘Right to Work’ for refugees and stateless peoples will be synergistic in advancing universal education access for all children.

Education is a fundamental human right. Yet there remain gaps in our understanding of undocumented children in Malaysia and their vulnerabilities in education access. This study aims to describe and contextualise undocumented children in Malaysia and their access to education. We conducted a desk review and in-depth interviews with 33 key stakeholders from June 2020 to March 2021. Framework analysis was conducted. Salient themes were geographical location and legal identity in terms of citizenship and migration status. We found that the lack of legal identity and non-recognition by the State was the root cause of vulnerability, experienced uniformly by undocumented populations in Malaysia. Only undocumented children with Malaysian parents or guardians can enter public schools under the Malaysian government's 'Zero Reject Policy'. Most undocumented and non-citizen children must rely on informal education provided by alternative or community learning centres that typically lack standardised curricula, resources, and accreditation for education progression beyond primary levels. Nevertheless, as non-citizen groups are diverse, certain groups experience more privilege, while others are more disadvantaged in terms of the quality of informal education and the highest level of education accessible. In Peninsular Malaysia, a very small proportion of refugees and asylum-seekers may additionally access tertiary education on scholarships. In Sabah, children of Indonesian migrant workers have access to learning centres with academic accreditation supported by employers in plantations and the Indonesian Consulate, whereas Filipino migrants who were initially recognised as refugees are now receiving little government or embassy support. Stateless Rohingya refugees in Peninsular Malaysia and Bajau Laut children at Sabah are arguably the most marginalised and have the poorest educational opportunities at basic literacy and numeracy levels, despite the latter receiving minimal governmental education support. Implementing a rights-based approach towards education would mean allowing all children equal opportunity to access and thrive in high-quality schools.

Education is a fundamental human right. Yet there remain gaps in our understanding of undocumented children in Malaysia and their vulnerabilities in education access. This study aims to describe and contextualise undocumented children in Malaysia and their access to education. We conducted a desk review and in-depth interviews with 33 key stakeholders from June 2020 to March 2021. Framework analysis was conducted. Salient themes were geographical location and legal identity in terms of citizenship and migration status. We found that the lack of legal identity and non-recognition by the State was the root cause of vulnerability, experienced uniformly by undocumented populations in Malaysia. Only undocumented children with Malaysian parents or guardians can enter public schools under the Malaysian government’s ‘Zero Reject Policy’. Most undocumented and non-citizen children must rely on informal education provided by alternative or community learning centres that typically lack standardised curricula, resources, and accreditation for education progression beyond primary levels. Nevertheless, as non-citizen groups are diverse, certain groups experience more privilege, while others are more disadvantaged in terms of the quality of informal education and the highest level of education accessible. In Peninsular Malaysia, a very small proportion of refugees and asylum-seekers may additionally access tertiary education on scholarships. In Sabah, children of Indonesian migrant workers have access to learning centres with academic accreditation supported by employers in plantations and the Indonesian Consulate, whereas Filipino migrants who were initially recognised as refugees are now receiving little government or embassy support. Stateless Rohingya refugees in Peninsular Malaysia and Bajau Laut children at Sabah are arguably the most marginalised and have the poorest educational opportunities at basic literacy and numeracy levels, despite the latter receiving minimal governmental education support. Implementing a rights-based approach towards education would mean allowing all children equal opportunity to access and thrive in high-quality schools.

Refugee children in Malaysia face different sources of discrimination daily. This can affect their mental health if appropriate strategies are not designed to help them with the discrimination. This study used a cross-sectional survey to understand the frequent discrimination as perceived among refugee children in Malaysia, their frequently used strategies to cope with it, and the associations between perceived discrimination and coping strategies. The purposive sampling method was used to recruit 91 refugee children to answer a questionnaire with assistance from their refugee teachers. Results showed that perceived discrimination happens in the health and education sectors, from local Malaysians as well other fellow Myanmarese, local authorities and members of the Malaysian Volunteer Corps Department (RELA). Coping strategies that are frequently used include problem coping, self -acceptance as fate and emotional coping. In addition, refugee children have low coping resources to cope with different sources of discrimination and thus increase their vulnerability. Accordingly, it is recommended that more programs should be conducted to create awareness among the public to understand the sources of discrimination as perceived by refugee children in Malaysia, and provide training to improve the refugee children’s resilience to cope with it.

Most refugee children in Malaysia face an extremely difficult situation. This report is therefore aimed to explore the demographic variables that are relevant to the quality of life (QoL) among refugee children in Malaysia. A total of 89 refugee children were recruited from five refugee education centres. Children were asked to complete their demographic information on the Youth QoL – short form (YQoL-S), and the Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale (MSLSS). The results suggest that the main predictors of QoL were deported experience, level of education, and employment status among fathers of refugee children. Researchers, the government, and NGO programmers should work hand in hand to develop better policies to improve these indicators among refugee children.

Discrimination perceived by refugee children in Malaysia is seldom reported. This study used an interview method to understand the types of discrimination perceived by refugee children in Malaysia. Eight representatives from different refugees’ community service centers and non-government service centers were recruited by using the purposive sampling method. Three sources of discrimination as perceived by refugee children were identified from the results: education, health care and locals and other fellow Myanmar refugees. It is recommended that more programs be conducted to create awareness among members of the public to understand the sources of discrimination perceived by refugee children in Malaysia. Without proper strategies to reduce discrimination, refugee children may suffer both physically and mentally, and may be a liability rather than an asset for society in future.

The refugee issue in Malaysia and Thailand is one of the most protracted human rights issues that both countries face. Regardless of abundant requests and advocacies by non-state actors, both locally and internationally, to persuade the governments of Thailand and Malaysia to provide protection to refugees, the fate of these refugees remain uncertain. One of the key limitations for the human rights protection of the refugees is that both countries did not sign the 1951 Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol, moreover, both Thailand and Malaysia do not treat the refugee issue as a domestic problem. This paper examines the detention of refugee children in Malaysia and Thailand with the main intention to advocate for the method of Alternatives to Detention (ATD) as a solution to the shortcomings in a legal method. Based on that, this paper first explores the human rights situation of refugee children in detentions by looking into the current detention practices of both countries. Secondly, this paper examines the strategies and tactics of how the local Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) advocate and convince their governments to adopt the approach of ATD.

The present study is focused on the issue of refugee education in Malaysia and the premise for this study is rooted in SDG 4. As Malaysia has not ratified the 1951 United Nations convention and is not a signatory of its 1967 Protocol, refugee children in the country are unable to access public school systems. Their only means to obtain an education is via an informal parallel system of refugee community learning centres that are run across the country. It is therefore pertinent for policymakers, NGOs, UNHCR Malaysia and local communities to have a clear understanding of the issues concerning refugee education to propose sustainable solutions to ensure that no refugee child in Malaysia is left behind. A systematic literature review approach, guided by the PRISMA statement 2020 was adopted in this study to better understand the phenomenon of concern and outline the key barriers and facilitators in the context of refugee education in Malaysia. A total of 14 articles met the selection criteria and were within the scope of the research question. A thematic analysis was conducted and several themes emerged. The review acknowledges that the educational needs of refugee children in Malaysia warrant attention.

In 2002, the Government of Malaysia amended the Education Act of 1996 (Act 550) to, in effect, limit access to free education to Malaysian citizens. This means that children of foreigners who do not have proper documentation but reside in Malaysia cannot attend government schools. Those affected are the children of foreign workers, asylum seekers and refugees. This paper attempts to outline the background to the education needs of Filipino children and map out existing initiatives by non-government organisations to mitigate the problems of illiteracy and poverty. It also attempts to describe the aspirations of these children in terms of education. The first section discusses the circumstances behind being undocumented in East Malaysia, while the second section describes existing local non-government organisation initiatives and the challenges such organisations face in providing free education to undocumented children. The findings are drawn from two fieldwork sessions, conducted in 2006–07 and 2013–14. Both research sessions used observation, semi-structured interviews and focus-group discussions (FGD) with children aged 7–17 years in Sabah, Malaysia. This study finds that children are in a desperate situation as a result of being denied an education. While there are non-formal learning centres available in their communities, these local initiatives are insufficient to provide a clear path to education in towns and rural villages.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted schooling for children worldwide. Most vulnerable are non-citizen children without access to public education. This study aims to explore challenges faced in achieving education access for children of refugee and asylum-seekers, migrant workers, stateless and undocumented persons in Malaysia during the pandemic. In-depth interviews of 33 stakeholders were conducted from June 2020 to March 2021. Data were thematically analysed. Our findings suggest that lockdowns disproportionately impacted non-citizen households as employment, food and housing insecurity were compounded by xenophobia, exacerbating pre-existing inequities. School closures disrupted school meals and deprived children of social interaction needed for mental wellbeing. Many non-citizen children were unable to participate in online learning due to the scarcity of digital devices, and poor internet connectivity, parental support, and home learning environments. Teachers were forced to adapt to online learning and adopt alternative arrangements to ensure continuity of learning and prevent school dropouts. The lack of government oversight over learning centres meant that measures taken were not uniform. The COVID-19 pandemic presents an opportunity for the design of more inclusive national educational policies, by recognising and supporting informal learning centres, to ensure that no child is left behind.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted schooling for children worldwide. Most vulnerable are non-citizen children without access to public education. This study aims to explore challenges faced in achieving education access for children of refugee and asylum-seekers, migrant workers, stateless and undocumented persons in Malaysia during the pandemic. In-depth interviews of 33 stakeholders were conducted from June 2020 to March 2021. Data were thematically analysed. Our findings suggest that lockdowns disproportionately impacted non-citizen households as employment, food and housing insecurity were compounded by xenophobia, exacerbating pre-existing inequities. School closures disrupted school meals and deprived children of social interaction needed for mental wellbeing. Many non-citizen children were unable to participate in online learning due to the scarcity of digital devices, and poor internet connectivity, parental support, and home learning environments. Teachers were forced to adapt to online learning and adopt alternative arrangements to ensure continuity of learning and prevent school dropouts. The lack of government oversight over learning centres meant that measures taken were not uniform. The COVID-19 pandemic presents an opportunity for the design of more inclusive national educational policies, by recognising and supporting informal learning centres, to ensure that no child is left behind.

The percentage of refugee children in Malaysia has been growing in recent years with a rise of more than 9000 in less than 3 years. More than 51,000 of the 164,620 documented refugees in 2019 are below the age of 18 years. Refugee children are often marginalized in society making them vulnerable and requiring special assistance in meeting their educational needs, mental health care and socio-emotional wellbeing. The purpose of this study was to discover the perceptions of refugee children regarding family life and their emotional and coping mechanisms. Employing the Collage Life-Story Elicitation Technique (CLET) and a discovery-oriented narrative approach, 25 refugee children at a non-governmental educational center in Kuala Lumpur were interviewed. The findings from an in-depth thematic analysis revealed that these refugee children perceived their families as having gone through separation and disruption resulting in isolation, loneliness and being powerless in the host country. Their coping mechanisms included help offered by enabling adults, teachers seen as angels and other wise people from the community who were their sources of strength. They strived for a better future through being brave and independent. We also discuss the need for more humanitarian programs and support for this group of vulnerable children in Malaysia.

Malaysia is a party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). This paper will explore whether the provisions in the CRC is sufficient in protecting the interest of refugee children in Malaysia due to the fact that Malaysia is not a party to The United Nations Convention on the Status Relating to Refugees 1951. The paper adopts doctrinal analysis as to who are refugees, the current issue surrounding refugees and to identify the problems due to the non - ratification of Malaysia to the 1951 Refugee Convention and to suggest any solutions to resolve the issue in hands. The paper concludes that despite that Malaysia is not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention, CRC is suffice to protect refugee children in Malaysia as Malaysia already incorporated the articles of CRC in the Child’s Act 2001. As there were no reservation on Article 22 of the CRC which touches on the protection accorded to refugee children, it is the contention of the writer that the government are being put in an obligatory position to provides what are necessary to refugee children be it in the form of education, health or the well-being of refugee children that is tantamount to their best interest as a child.

The displacement of populations due to humanitarian emergencies has an adverse impact on the global elimination of vaccine-preventable diseases. However, the level of immunisation coverage among Rohingya refugee children remains unknown. Therefore, thisstudy investigated immunisation coverage and its determinants among Rohingya refugee children in Malaysia. A cross-sectional study was conducted from September to November 2020 among the guardians of 243 Rohingya refugee children studying under the sponsorship of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, Malaysia. Among the 243 children, 90 (37%) were unimmunised, 147 (60.5%) were partially immunised and only 6 (2.5%) were fully immunised. The country of child's birth, the child's age and access to healthcare services were significantly associated with unimmunisation (all P<0.05). This study found low immunisation coverage among Rohingya refugee children in Malaysia. Given the low level of coverage, a public health intervention, such as a vaccination program, for this refugee population is necessary.

Objective: Rohingya refugee children are among the most vulnerable groups in the world. Despite the persecution that they received from the Myanmar government, the negative stigma towards them has worsened their conditions. Hence, education is the only way to change their lives across generations. However, while residing in Malaysia, these children have limitations in accessing formal education in national schools and most probably enrol in Alternative Learning Centres (ALC). Consequently, this study argues that every child deserves the right to education regardless of their status and must be in line with the aims of the SDGs and other international legal frameworks. Theoretical Framework: The Sustainable Development Goals on “Quality Education” emphasize the need to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote opportunities for lifelong learning for all. Method: In-depth interviews with informants involving four key persons representing policymakers and implementers, and 10 Rohingya parents who registered their children in alternative learning centres were collected with the aim to examine the extent of quality education being emphasised for Rohingya children in Malaysia. Results and Discussion: The result of the analysis found that the Rohingya refugee children received limited quality education due to no access to formal education, in which education was only provided at alternative learning centres. Nonetheless, both the provider (the alternative learning centres) and receiver (Rohingya parents and children) still struggle with a number of issues and challenges. Originality/Value: This study is unique in that it examines the educational needs of Rohingya refugee children in Malaysia in a timely and context-specific manner, particularly through the lens of international human rights and the sustainable development framework. It highlights the gap between global educational goals and local realities, making it an important contribution to the field of refugee education.