KUALA LUMPUR Amnesty International on Wednesday said Malaysia was a “dangerous” place for refugees who were often abused, arrested and “treated like criminals”.

Amnesty said the refugees, mainly from military-ruled Myanmar, came seeking refuge in Malaysia but were subjected to a litany of abuses as the government does not recognise their status. “For those refugees and asylum-seekers who are forced to flee their homelands in search of protection, Malaysia is an unwelcoming and dangerous place,” it said in a strongly-worded report ahead of World Refugee Day on June 20.

“They come to Malaysia seeking safety, having fled situations of torture, persecution or death threats. But once they arrive, they are abused, exploited, arrested and locked up — in effect, treated like criminals,” the group added.

Malaysia has not ratified the United Nation's Refugee Convention and refugees — who also come from Sri Lanka, Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan — are often treated as undocumented workers, Amnesty said. The lack of legal status means refugees can be punished by imprisonment for up to five years and whipping for illegally entering the country.—AFP