Furthermore, these refugees have no legal protection because Malaysia has not signed the 1951 UN Convention recognising refugees. Thus, the refugees become illegal workers in the country while they wait for their repatriation/ resettlement. However, as these refugee are not supposed to work in Malaysia, they are at high risks of being arrested at any time and taken to the detention centres by the authorities. Without recognition of the refugee status, the refugees are constantly harassed, ill-treated and denied their fundamental rights. There are also incidents where refugees who hold UNHCR cards are also arrested and placed at immigration detentions. Besides that, discoveries of mass graves in Wang Kelian also revealed that the lack of formal status of refugees make them vulnerable to becoming victims of trafficking. Therefore, the participants suggested that all refugees (regardless of their country of origin) should be accorded the opportunity to work in Malaysia and that Malaysia make an effort to expedite the ratification of the 1951 Refugee Convention. b) Plight of Domestic workers/ Invisible workers The domestic workers, also known as invisible workers, were described as one of the most exploited workers in this country. Similar to the foreign workers, the domestic workers have also contributed massively to the country. They provide child care, senior care, house cleaning and many other services; yet, they are often isolated and remain largely invisible and undervalued. Domestic workers are also not offered basic labour S U H A K A M A N N U A L R EPOR T 2017 39 1 The foreign workers have also been blamed for street crimes they did not commit. Statistics revealed that the locals were actually posing a bigger threat to social stability compared to the migrants. The participants also suggested that the Commission conduct a national inquiry on the rights of migrant workers to address the violations that they face and make recommendations to the current legislation so that the rights of the migrant workers are protected. C H A P T E R and abuses of human rights. In addition, discriminating practices exist between the foreign workers and local workers in terms of wages, benefits and participation in trade union activities.

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