A

s more people become displaced due to war, persecution and the tightening of border policies worldwide, asylum seekers currently residing in Indonesia must continue to be patient.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which is in charge of the verification and resettlement of refugees, said that amid the current global refugee crisis, resettling people outside of Indonesia was challenging and may take longer than usual.

UNHCR representative in Indonesia Thomas Vargas said the agency was working with the governments of Indonesia and neighboring countries to find the best solutions for refugees, which may include uniting people with family members in other countries, or asylum seekers voluntarily returning home if conditions were considered safe.

“Until these solutions can be identified, UNHCR very much appreciates the government’s generosity in granting refugees a temporary safe home in Indonesia. Even though Indonesia hosts a much smaller number of refugees than other countries in the region, its willingness to do so sends a strong message of international solidarity and a shared humanity,” Vargas told The Jakarta Post.

The UN refugee agency has recorded that 65 million people worldwide have been forcibly displaced by war, armed conflict, serious human rights violations and other forms of persecution in countries such as Syria, Afghanistan and Somalia.

As of April, Indonesia was home to over 13,500 refugees and asylum seekers. The majority are in Greater Jakarta, while the remainder reside in cities like Makassar, Medan and Batam.

As a nonsignatory of the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, Indonesia does not have the authority to determine the status of asylum seekers and must wait for verification by the UNHCR. However, as part of international law, Indonesia cannot expel people facing persecution in their countries of origin.

A recent case of Sri Lankan asylum seekers who landed at Lhoknga beach, Aceh, highlighted the reluctance of Indonesian authorities to host more asylum seekers after hundreds of Rohingya Muslims arrived a year earlier.

Initially, the Sri Lankans were not allowed to leave their vessel, which authorities tried to push back out to sea. Some days later, when the boat was no longer functioning, the migrants were allowed to come ashore.

Although asylum seekers and refugees are taken care of by the UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), local officials have expressed concerns about hosting more migrants.

“Social problems arise when migrants marry locals because the migrants are forbidden to work or leave their shelters. It also raises questions about the status of their children,” said Yudi Kurniadi, North Sumatra Immigration Office head.

The Post has found cases of migrants living in the country for years, settling down with locals and starting families.

However, their activities are confined to the shelters they live in, usually hotels or former government offices. They are not allowed to work.

The situation is not ideal for the asylum seekers and refugees who are usually aiming to reach a third country, such as Australia, Canada or the US. Around 100 Rohingya Muslims recently protested in front of the UNHCR office in Medan, demanding transfers to third countries.

They accused the agency of discriminating against refugees in Indonesia, saying those in other countries were resettled more quickly.

“I’ve been waiting here for years, but they never send me [anywhere]. I have married now,” said Muhammad Nur, a Rohingya Muslim who has been in Indonesia for five years.

In 2016 so far, the UNHCR has resettled 322 refugees who had been residing in Indonesia: 147 in Australia, four in Canada and 171 in the US.

Vargas called on all people to respect the basic rights of refugees and asylum seekers. “Refugees are ordinary people just like you and me. Preventing them from establishing families or having children would be a violation of their basic human rights,” he said.