A total of 126 Rohingya refugees were relocated after they set up tents and turned the area outside the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office along Jalan Bukit Petaling into a temporary settlement.
Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Fadil Marsus said the area surrounding the UNHCR office is considered a sensitive location and is not designated for use as a temporary campsite.
He said police, together with the Immigration Department, moved the refugees to the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters for screening and documentation.
“The screening will be carried out at a more suitable location. Those without valid documents will be detained, while those with UNHCR documents will have their status verified by the agency first,” he said in a statement.
Fadil added that UNHCR, together with its partner organisations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), will identify suitable accommodation for refugees whose documents are verified as valid.
He noted that authorities cannot take action under the Immigration Act against individuals who possess valid UNHCR identification cards.
Of the 126 refugees, 58 were adults, while the remainder were children.
Fadil said the refugees cooperated fully throughout the relocation process, with no reports of officers being obstructed during the operation.
Police have also yet to verify reports claiming that two additional buses carrying Rohingya refugees were on their way to Kuala Lumpur.
Earlier reports said four police trucks were deployed to transport the refugees, who arrived from Penang on three buses carrying luggage and personal belongings.
