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Illegals won’t come out for jabs unless policy is adjusted, says Liew

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Liew Chin Tong says if migrants and refugees do not get vaccinated, the problem of clusters involving these groups will continue.

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Free Malaysia Today
Illegal immigrants are not likely to come forward to be vaccinated unless they are assured they will not be arrested, and cases will continue in their communities, says Liew Chin Tong.

PETALING JAYA:
Illegal migrants and refugees are not likely to come forward to receive their Covid-19 vaccinations without a change in enforcement policy, as fears of punishment may deter them, former deputy defence minister Liew Chin Tong says.

He said that while he applauded science, technology and innovation minister Khairy Jamaluddin’s statement that all refugees and illegal migrants would receive their innoculation, he felt this assurance was not enough.

“It’s important that everyone is vaccinated, particularly those in high-risk groups such as migrant workers and refugees.

“But I don’t think the illegal migrants will come out for it. They will not trust Khairy’s words until and unless there is a rethink on the part of the Immigration Department, the police and all other security agencies.”

Speaking during a webinar entitled “Covid-19: Seeking solutions for prisons and refugees” organised by G25 Malaysia and the Edunity Foundation, the senator said unless their fears could be allayed, they would not come forward and the problem of clusters emerging from detention centres and workers’ housing would continue.

Dr Susheela Balasundaram, associate public health officer of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said they were ready to help in the vaccination process.

“We are ready to support whatever last mile delivery of the vaccines is needed to ensure all refugees are provided access,” she said.

Regarding the trust deficit between communities and the government, she said the UNHCR was open to helping the government close that gap.

“We are happy to collaborate with the government to see what can be done through communication and preparedness of the communities in terms of information and where to get access.”

She added that long-term solutions for supporting the health of refugees, even after the pandemic, were needed, pointing to countries such as India and Iraq which provide healthcare on par with that received by citizens, and Thailand, which provides a health financing scheme for refugees.

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