By Maria Chin Abdullah

Here in Malaysia, we are currently in the midst of the deadliest wave of COVID-19 yet. We all hope to remain safe from the virus, but I am concerned that many are being left behind without protection; not only from the virus, but also from arbitrary arrests and detention.

Recently, authorities have conducted immigration raids, sprayed disinfectant on migrants, and shared a poster online portraying “Rohingya migrants” as a security threat.

It is shameful to see government units such as the Immigration Department and Home Ministry promoting such anti-migrant and anti-refugee policies and narratives, fostering discrimination, violence and xenophobia within Malaysia.

These politicians know fully well that it is not in the country’s best interests to spread hateful rhetoric or to increase the number of people in detention during a pandemic. So, the question must be asked, in whose interest is it? It appears to me that it is nothing more than political scapegoating in the face of the government’s failure to tackle the spread of the virus and roll out the national vaccination program.

At the start of the pandemic last year, authorities appallingly rounded up thousands of migrants and refugees, pushed back boats of Rohingya refugees, and detained hundreds who arrived on our shores, all the while doing nothing to tackle a surge in hate speech against these communities. These xenophobic actions and policies heightened as the number of COVID-19 cases grew.

Unsurprisingly, the mass detentions were counterproductive and led to widespread infections, as the overcrowded and unhygienic prisons became the ideal breeding ground for the growth of COVID-19 clusters and deaths.

In February this year, the government promised not to detain any undocumented workers willing to be inoculated, but within a matter of months, this policy was reversed once again as the number of infections soared.

Despite the high risk of COVID-19 transmissions in detention facilities, our Home Minister is once again trying to convince Malaysians that the arrests and detentions during this month’s lockdown will help tackle the spread of the virus, and ensure that migrants become vaccinated.

Not only does this hostile approach actually undermine vaccination efforts, but it is counterproductive for the safety of everyone. Spreading fear only creates further barriers for refugees, asylum seekers and undocumented persons to access health services, as it destroys their trust, and therefore the likelihood of them coming forward for testing, treatment and vaccinations. If they remain in hiding, it increases the risk that COVID-19 infections will rise, making it increasingly difficult to reach herd immunity.

By refusing to ensure vaccine equity for all, the government is failing to follow both human rights and public health standards. If the government really is aiming to stop the spread of the virus, it would improve its cooperation with organizations such as UNHCR, as well as NGOs, to create a safe space for undocumented migrants, refugees and asylum seekers to be vaccinated without repercussions. It would also put firewalls in place to create a clear separation between migration enforcement authorities and the health care sector, and ensure that personal data is not shared with migration authorities without consent.

This would be a more humane and effective way to vaccinate undocumented persons. They should not be penalized for being unable to obtain valid documents, when many became undocumented after falling victim to trafficking, abuse, exploitation, and other hardships. Instead of detaining non-registered migrants, asylum seekers and refugees, alternative measures should first be considered.

COVID-19 does not discriminate, and neither should we. To truly protect all of us from the virus, what is really needed is an end to immigration raids and an inclusive response that ensures vaccines are safely accessible to all of us living in Malaysia.

So, I ask all of us, the next time we hear the government spread anti-migrant speech, and brag about rounding up migrants supposedly for our own safety, let’s ask ourselves: who is the government really trying to protect? Because by shifting blame onto those in the most vulnerable situation in our society, it certainly doesn’t appear to be the general public, but instead themselves.

Maria Chin Abdullah is a Malaysian Member of Parliament and Member of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR)