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It’s been eight months without an interview.… If Immigration will kill me
here, I may as well be in Afghanistan.… Due to the late [delayed] process, I
must go. I know the situation in Helmand is difficult … after being back for a
week I will flee again, to Pakistan. 232
Refugees who traveled through Malaysia and received refugee status from the UNHCR
office there had to go through the UNHCR process in Indonesia regardless, and many were
detained during this period. Karim Ali S., the father of a Rohingya family from Burma who
arrived in Indonesia approximately eight months before meeting Human Rights Watch,
said, “we had refugee status in Malaysia, but we have asylum seeker papers only in
Indonesia.” 233 A a Tamil man, had refugee status in Malaysia, but spent 11 months in
immigration detention before receiving refugee status from UNHCR in Indonesia. 234
Even children in this situation were detained: Kiriti T., a Sri Lankan mother who traveled to
Indonesia with her husband, two daughters (now aged 17 and 9 years old) and one son
(now aged 8 years old), said, “We had refugee cards from Malaysia but they still locked us
up for six months [at Tanjung Pinang IDC].” 235
Even some vulnerable people may linger in detention, albeit for shorter periods. Shajunan
P. was at Tanjung Pinang IDC for two months before UNHCR came to register him: “Because
of my artificial leg, I was given priority for my interview. It was three months more to wait
until they interviewed me.” 236 After Shajunan received his refugee certificate from UNHCR,
he said, “the immigration office told me I had to go to Belawan [IDC] first before I could get
released.” Shajunan spent another month at Belawan for a total of six months in detention.
Some asylum seekers have difficulties going through the application process due to
inadequate translation. While IOM provides some help with translation, asylum seekers
reported that they still needed more assistance. Sher K., an Afghan who helps translate for
many of his community members, commented, “The forms we have to fill out to get
recognized by the UN are long and confusing for a lot of people.” 237 Selva P., a Tamil man
232 Human Rights Watch interview with Baqir N., Pontianak IDC, September 4, 2012.
233 Human Rights Watch group interview with Karim Ali S., Ciawi, September 7, 2012.
234 Human Rights Watch interview with Shakairan A., Medan, August 23, 2012.
235 Human Rights Watch group interview with Kiriti T., Medan, August 26, 2012.
236 Human Rights Watch interview with Shajunan P., Medan, August 23, 2012.
237 Human Rights Watch interview with Sher K., Medan, August 25, 2012.
65 HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH | JUNE 2013