Protection of Migrants and Forced Returnees in Mindanao
UNHCR in Mindanao is working with local authorities to strengthen their protection monitoring of hundreds of Filipino nationals who are forced to return from Sabah, Malaysia each week. Many of these persons arrive to Tawi-Tawi and Zamboanga in extremely vulnerable conditions, and many, in the process of their forced return, are separated from family members who remain in Sabah. Often individuals have physical, psycho-social and legal protection concerns that are not identified and addressed upon their arrival to the Philippines from Malaysia. The DSWD in Zamboanga and Tawi-Tawi have increased their efforts to provide support to this large number of forced returnees who are expected to continue to arrive, however their access to services and specific needs require more attention to ensure the human rights concerns are being adequately addressed both in the Philippines and Malaysia.
To date, there is no comprehensive information including the total number of Filipinos who have been forced to return from Sabah. It is estimated that as of 2013, there are around 800,000 Filipinos in Sabah, so mixed-migration and forced returns are expected to continue without a comprehensive political agreement on Sabah and a reform of migration policy and practice coordinated between Malaysia and the Philippines.
Thematic Protection Bulletin: Protection of Migrants and Forced Returnees in Mindanao