A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war, or violence. On the contrary, a migrant worker can be defined as a person who has been moved from one region of the country to another in order to engage in a remunerated activity. In Malaysia, migrant workers and refugees have always been a major issue. Although the government has tried many ways to keep their number in check, the number of migrant workers and refugees are still increasing. Due to this large number, the rights of many migrant workers and refugees have been violated. Refugees and migrant workers in Malaysia share a similar issue of being mistreated and discriminated but they have different legal status and their basic standards of hygiene and healthcare have been breached.
First and foremost, refugees and migrant workers have the similarity of being mistreated and discriminated by the authorities. They are at risk of victimisation and exploitation by some unscrupulous employers in the form of delayed payment of wages, which put them in a more vulnerable position in the society. For instance, Himal, a Nepal migrant worker had also been discriminated as he toiled in conditions that amounted to labour exploitation. He was lured to work in an electronic industry in Penang by promises of RM1500 per month but ended up being exploited with a maximum monthly payment of RM1000. He also did not have the basic labour rights of fair working hours, off-days, medical benefits, workplace health and safety protection. He was forced to work 12 hours per day in a harsh working condition without any overtime payment. Ahmed, a 29-year-old Somali refugee who fled to Malaysia in the year 2011 had been ill-treated as he did not receive his salary payment. He worked illicitly in a restaurant in order to survive while awaiting resettlement to a third country or voluntary repatriation. However, instead of getting paid, he was consternated by the bill for food and accommodation.