Myanmar: Myanmar refugees holding valid United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) cards remain subject to the Immigration Act 1959/63. Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban stated that UNHCR cardholders could be considered illegal immigrants if they committed other immigration offences, including working without a valid pass or permit. Employers hiring these refugees without proper authorisation may also face legal consequences.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Zakaria refuted media reports suggesting that Myanmar refugees with UNHCR cards were not illegal immigrants. The clarification comes in response to claims that UNHCR cardholders were beyond the jurisdiction of the Immigration Department (JIM). Zakaria explained that the exemption for these cardholders only applied to two specific offences under the Immigration Act: not possessing valid travel documents or passes, and overstaying. This exemption does not absolve them from adhering to other provisions of the Immigration Act.

Zakaria detailed that the management of refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia follows government policy, coordinated through National Security Council (MKN) Directive No. 23, and the Cabinet Committee on Refugees and Asylum Seekers, led by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. The Ministry of Home Affairs (KDN) and JIM oversee the registration of refugees and asylum seekers via the Refugee Registration Documentation (DPP) Programme. This programme aims to provide the government with comprehensive and systematic data regarding the refugees' presence in Malaysia. Any decisions regarding refugee management are guided by policies set by the MKN through the Cabinet Committee on Refugees and Asylum Seekers.