(Bangkok) – The  Malaysian government began a refugee registration system in January 2026 that has raised protection, rights, and privacy concerns for the hundreds of thousands of refugees and asylum seekers in the country, Human Rights Watch said today. The new initiative, Dokumen Pendaftaran Pelarian ( Refugee Registration Document, DPP), aims to replace the current registration system managed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The new system comes amid Malaysia’s intensified enforcement of its immigration laws, including frequent raids and indefinite detention, as well as longstanding public hostility toward migrants and UNHCR. Refugees and migrants described living in precarious circumstances, under fear of surveillance, arrest, deportation, and exploitation.…