Refugees and migrant workers will be included for vaccination in the third phase of Malaysia’s National Inoculation Programme. Science, Technology and Innovation minister, Khairy Jamaluddin, who heads the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme, said that the move would include those who do not have legitimate documentations, or if they have expired. “For refugees who carry the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) card, we will be working with the United Nations (UN) to vaccinate them. So that will take place during phase three,” he told reporters in Putrajaya. He said this will likely start in June when vaccine supply has increased.

Employers will be responsible for registering their migrant workers who are documented. For migrant workers who do not have documents, we have also asked for their employers to register them and we will make  the vaccines available to them regardless of whether they have documents or otherwise, or if their documents have lapsed,” he said.

Khairy also said the government under the Covid-19 task force is also working with the Home Ministry to contact foreign embassies, international organisations, civil society and non-governmental organisations (NGO) to assist in assuring undocumented migrants of this.