Malaysia grants refugee status to 78 Rohingya under DPP programme

Malaysia has granted refugee status to 78 Rohingya from Myanmar under its new government-run Refugee Registration Document programme, known by its Malay abbreviation DPP, with 25 identified as eligible for employment under a pilot initiative.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail disclosed the figures in a written parliamentary reply on July 8. The Rohingya were assessed during the first phase of the programme, which focuses on people held in immigration detention facilities.

Seventy-eight Rohingya approved as refugees

Saifuddin said that, as of June 2026, authorities had transferred 128 Rohingya—127 adult men and one adult woman—to the Special Detention Centre for Refugees and Asylum Seekers, or PPKPPS, in Bidor, Perak.

“Following the status determination process, 78 individuals, comprising 77 men and one woman, have been approved as refugees under the DPP programme,” he said.

“The release process will only be carried out after all related procedures have been completed.”

The remaining members of the group are still undergoing assessments under the programme’s requirements.

The minister was responding to questions from Seputeh Member of Parliament Teresa Kok about the progress of the DPP programme, access to employment and the role of non-governmental organisations in refugee registration.

Twenty-five eligible for pilot employment scheme

The government has introduced a pilot DPP Employment Programme involving the 78 recognised refugees. Of that number, 25 have been identified as eligible for employment, Saifuddin said.

The minister did not provide details about the jobs available, when employment would begin or whether the selected refugees would face restrictions on where and in which sectors they could work.

Recognition under the DPP programme also does not mean that the 78 Rohingya have already been released from detention. Their release remains subject to the completion of administrative and other required procedures.

Registration includes biometric and security checks

Launched in January 2026, the DPP is a government-managed system for identifying and registering people seeking temporary protection in Malaysia.

The Home Ministry is responsible for collecting biometric information, conducting security checks and assessing applicants’ protection claims.

The process covers people holding documents issued by the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, as well as individuals who identify themselves as refugees or asylum seekers.

Saifuddin said applicants would not be recognised solely because they possessed UNHCR documents. Each person must undergo the Malaysian government’s screening and verification procedures.

Approved applicants receive a DPP card, which serves as government-recognised identification for temporary residence in Peninsular Malaysia.

More than 4,000 detainees included in first phase

The first phase covers 4,010 people held in immigration detention facilities, including 4,008 Rohingya from Myanmar, one Sudanese national and one Syrian national.

The group comprises 2,746 adult men, 632 adult women, 392 boys and 240 girls.

Transfers to the Bidor centre are being conducted in stages because the facility can accommodate only 400 people at a time.

Second phase expected in late 2026

The second phase, covering UNHCR document holders and refugee claimants living outside detention centres, is scheduled to begin during the second half of 2026.

Registration will be conducted at refugee status determination centres whose locations have yet to be announced.

The Home Ministry aims to complete registration for this group by December 31, 2029.

Saifuddin said the registration process is being carried out entirely by a special unit under the Immigration Department of Malaysia and does not currently involve NGOs.

UNHCR describes the DPP as a step towards a structured national protection system, while maintaining that its own work identifying and registering refugees will continue in support of Malaysia’s responsibilities. Rights groups have meanwhile called for safeguards against prolonged detention, forced return and misuse of refugees’ personal information. (UNHCR Malaysia; Human Rights Watch)

For Rohingya who have long lived without secure legal status in Malaysia, the approval of the first 78 cases marks a potentially significant development. However, its wider impact will depend on whether recognition leads to release from detention, lawful employment and meaningful protection.