Resettlement
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Resettlement is the selection and transfer of refugees from a country in which they have sought protection to another country which has agreed to admit them and provide them with a stable legal status.
Resettlement, however, is only available for a fraction of the world’s refugees in need of this solution. Less than 1% of refugees worldwide are ever resettled. There are far too few resettlement spaces for the number of refugees that need resettlement. It is important to note that:
- Resettlement is not a right. Registration or granting of refugee status by UNHCR does not mean an individual will be referred for resettlement.
- Resettlement remains a protection tool for highly vulnerable refugees. Identification for potential resettlement submission is based on individual protection needs.
- The submission of a case for resettlement consideration is contingent on many factors, including the severity of individual protection needs, the protection environment, the position of the host country and the availability of resettlement places.
Resettlement process
The UNHCR Durable Solutions Unit (DSU) may contact you by telephone if your case is preliminarily identified for resettlement consideration to complete a resettlement processing eligibility assessment.
Resettlement considerations are not based on your requests or applications. Therefore, UNHCR Malaysia does not accept requests or applications for resettlement.
Please do not come to the office, send emails and letters or call the office to request or apply for resettlement.
If you are found to be eligible for resettlement processing, you will be invited to a resettlement interview. In principle, all interviews take place in person at UNHCR.
After the resettlement interview, your situation will be carefully reviewed and a decision will be made on whether a submission will be made to a resettlement country for their consideration.
If your case is submitted for resettlement, either the UNHCR Durable Solutions Unit, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) or the resettlement country will contact you to provide you with more information.
Resettlement countries ultimately decide whether or not to grant resettlement according to their policies and laws.
The suspension of the USRAP applies to all refugees who have been submitted for refugee resettlement to the United States, at all stages of processing, so do not believe anyone who tells you they can help you depart from Malaysia more quickly or move your case faster. This is not true.
UNHCR will share updates through UNHCR Malaysia Help page as and when they become available.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) organizes necessary pre-departure arrangements, including medical screening and cultural orientation, as well as travel arrangements for accepted refugees to countries other than Australia. If you have been accepted by a resettlement country other than Australia, IOM will contact you once the travel instruction is ready. You can also contact IOM Kuala Lumpur at [email protected] or call +603 9235 5400 if you have a question about your pre-departure arrangements or travel.
If you have been accepted by Australia, Toll will contact you from a phone number starting with +66 to advise you on pre-departure arrangements and travel.
Please be careful and alert to possible scams and/or fraudulent messages or offers.
Do not trust any messages related to the status of your resettlement case or your travel unless officially communicated by resettlement countries, or authorized staff of UNHCR, IOM or RSC. In case of any doubt, please contact the UNHCR office using the Fraud and Corruption form
General information related to fraud and misconduct
Please be careful and alert to possible scams and/or fraudulent messages or offers.
Do not be tricked into scams promising resettlement or fast-track processes for a fee or other favours. Do not pay money to anyone promising you resettlement. Do not trust anyone asking you for money or favours to make your case move faster with UNHCR. In this regard, please refer to UNHCR Malaysia Help page on Fraud and Corruption.
Do not trust any messages related to the status of your resettlement case or your travel unless officially communicated by resettlement countries, or authorized staff of UNHCR, IOM or RSC. In case of any doubt, please contact the UNHCR office using the Fraud and Corruption form
Resettlement FAQ
Please find below more detailed information on the resettlement process, including specific resettlement-related scenarios.
Obtaining general and case-specific information on resettlement
The UNHCR Resettlement Handbook provides detailed information on UNHCR resettlement policy and practice. Resettlement States have described their policies and programmes in individual Country Chapters. The Resettlement Handbook is a public document.
There is no need to approach the office individually or send letters, faxes or emails. It is, however, very important to keep your telephone number(s) and email address(es) updated with UNHCR by filling the Contact Form, so that the office can arrange an appointment with you whenever required.
Eligibility for Resettlement/Resettlement Processes
Please note that registration or granting of refugee status by UNHCR does not mean an individual will be referred for resettlement. For the limited number of individuals who will be processed for resettlement, processing times for refugee status determination and resettlement, differ from case to case.
Having a refugee card does not automatically mean you are eligible for resettlement. Further, the length of stay in Malaysia does not make a refugee eligible for resettlement. The resettlement ‘Submission Categories’ are explained in Chapter 3 of the UNHCR Resettlement Handbook. Ultimately, due to limited resettlement quota, cases are prioritized for resettlement according to the urgency and severity of the protection and resettlement needs.
The purpose of the resettlement interview is to assess your case for resettlement. Following the resettlement interview, your case will be reviewed before a decision is taken on whether a submission for resettlement should be made. The time needed for this process differs from case to case. If your case is thereafter submitted for resettlement consideration, the UNHCR Durable Solutions Unit (DSU) will notify you about the submission. Thereafter, UNHCR, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) or the resettlement country will contact you on behalf of the resettlement country to provide information about your interview date with the resettlement country officials.
Cases can be placed on hold due to a variety of reasons. However, once the reason is fully assessed, clarified and resolved, your resettlement process may resume. Approaching UNHCR or asking about your case frequently will not change this and will not help your case move faster.
Resettlement is a time-consuming process for all the persons concerned. Processing times vary from country to country, due to different immigration laws, priorities and resources, and are as such very hard to predict. Issues such as birth, marriage, pregnancy, divorce and custody, registration, deaths have to be properly assessed and resolved before resettlement can happen.
On the country of resettlement
UNHCR takes note of a refugee’s resettlement country preference and recommends a country to which their case can be submitted, based on their family’s specific needs, desire, and family links, as well as in light of the various resettlement countries’ criteria. Should a refugee choose not to be considered for resettlement to a particular country at any point, UNHCR will counsel the individual on the implications and consequences of the withdrawal. UNHCR may not be able to submit the refugee’s case again to the country of their choice or any other country.
Specific resettlement-related scenarios
Resettlement countries require updated medical screening for refugees. Refugees are likely to undergo more than one examination prior to their departure, depending on the policies of the resettlement country.
UNHCR promotes family reunification and restoring supportive relationships. It is important that you inform UNHCR about any unregistered family members. Counselling will be provided about the implications and consequences.
If you are married to a non-refugee, you may be entitled to a residency status or potentially citizenship in your spouse’s country. Marriage to a non-refugee spouse will be carefully assessed by UNHCR to determine the options for that person and the situation of the entire family before considering them for resettlement.
Polygamy is unlawful in nearly all resettlement countries and therefore refugees cannot be resettled if they are intending to continue a polygamous marriage. Each family will be counselled individually by UNHCR about their resettlement prospects and the family will need to consider the best arrangements for the spouses and their children.
Child marriage is unlawful under international law and is widely considered a form of gender-based violence. As such, if you are married to someone who is below the age of 18, both you and your child spouse may not be eligible for resettlement. Child marriage is not legally recognized under the national law of the resettlement countries. In some resettlement countries, extraterritorial jurisdiction for statutory rape may apply to the spouse of a married child.
If you or your family member has been involved in the marriage of someone below the age of 18, it may cause your family to be ineligible for resettlement upon review by UNHCR. This is because child marriage is unlawful under international law and is widely considered a form of gender-based violence. In addition, parents or caregivers who arranged the marriage may be liable to prosecution in the resettlement country.
Your case will not be automatically resubmitted to another resettlement country. UNHCR, however, will complete a re-assessment on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration any specific needs of your family. Despite the different criteria of the various resettlement countries, you should not assume, if you are denied by one country, that you could be accepted by another.
No. The resettlement submission of an individual or a family is based on an assessment that the individual or family has a need for resettlement. Therefore, the opportunity to be submitted for resettlement consideration cannot be transferred to a relative or friend.
Important notice: suspension of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program
The United States Government has announced the suspension of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). UNHCR is awaiting further guidance from the U.S. government regarding the impact of this new order on refugees currently in the process of resettlement to the United States. This also affects refugees in family reunification processes and WelcomeCorps processes.
If your USRAP case was submitted by a sponsor, please be aware that sponsors are not able to help you depart Malaysia more quickly or move your case faster. In the meantime, please do not make any major life changes based on anticipated resettlement (including leaving work, school, selling belongings/property, in preparation of resettlement).