Refugee registration system to launch in early 2026: Immigration DG

KUALA LUMPUR: Putrajaya’s long-awaited Refugee Registration Document (DPP) system, aimed at establishing an accurate count of refugees in Malaysia, including the Rohingya, is expected to be rolled out early next year.

Immigration Department director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said the system was undergoing a proof-of-concept phase.

“The DPP system is still in the development stage. The home minister will make an announcement once it is ready. We expect it to launch early 2026,” he told the New Straits Times.

He said technical testing and validation were being carried out to ensure the system met operational and security needs before nationwide implementation.

On broader refugee issues, Zakaria said the initiative was part of a national policy framework led by the National Security Council (NSC) to register all refugees in Malaysia for the first time.

“The government, through NSC, is registering refugees under the DPP initiative.

The goal is to obtain the actual number of refugees in the country.”

Authorities now rely on data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), but Zakaria said the figures might not reflect the true scale of the refugee population.

“Based on our observations, the real figure may be higher than what UNHCR has reported to us.”

He said this prompted the government to move ahead with a full re-registration exercise covering all refugee groups.

“The government has decided to re-register all refugees, including the Rohingya. Once registration is complete, we will have clearer direction on the next steps.”

He highlighted concerns about fake UNHCR cards detected during enforcement operations.

“Some refugees hold UNHCR cards, but some have none.

“For those arrested, we conduct verification with UNHCR to determine whether the cards they hold are genuine.

“If the card is found to be fake, they will be detained. But if the card is genuine, we respect UNHCR’s status recognition and will release them.”

The DPP initiative is expected to streamline verification processes, curb misuse of fake documents and provide Malaysia with its first authoritative refugee database.