Paper short abstract:

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused disruptions in everyone’s life, including refugees who are already living on the margins of society in Malaysia. Based on ethnic Rohingya lived experiences during the pandemic, this paper highlights their vulnerabilities in three aspects: mobility, precarity and temporality.

Paper long abstract:

The Covid-19 pandemic has revealed the vulnerabilities of marginalised groups in society, including refugees. Malaysia does not recognise refugee status despite hosting more than 184,000 refugees and asylum-seekers registered by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Without official status, refugees do not have the right to work, no access to formal education and limited access to healthcare. Multiple lockdowns and economic downturns caused the loss of livelihoods to many, especially foreigners with no legal documents to stay and no right to receive government assistance. When citizens are prioritised over non-citizens amidst rife xenophobia during the pandemic, refugees’ lives become more insecure with the hostile socio-political environment on top of the restrictive legal structure. Using Rohingya, the stateless ethnic group from Myanmar, which forms the biggest refugee group in Malaysia, as a case study, this paper highlights refugees’ vulnerabilities in three aspects: mobility, precarity and temporality. It will reflect on the lessons learnt based on the refugees’ lived experiences and what should be done to move forward. This research is based on ethnography conducted in Peninsular Malaysia in 2020-2021 with the refugee community and other relevant stakeholders.