Award details

“The Malaysian government recognizes the refugees and forced migrants within its borders as illegal immigrants. Despite this, the state acts as transit country for increasing numbers of refugees from surrounding regions looking for temporary (and undocumented) work while awaiting relocation. My research as part of this JCURA grant will examine how the Malaysian state and the international community respond to forced migrants in Malaysia, particularly in terms of their 'illegal' status. In particular, I will examine how these responses and systems materially affect migrants, and how various characteristics of migrants (e.g. class, language, religion and/ or gender) may influence their experiences as migrants. My research will involve both secondary and primary research, the latter based on my work as an intern at the Malaysian Social Research Institute (MSRI) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in the summer & fall of 2015. This internship will allow me to collect empirical data of the region's migrants and carryout interviews with individuals working with MSRI such as the Institute’s teachers, nurses, translators and facilitators, many of which are refugees themselves. My research will then be available to MSRI for their databases and used to develop an honours thesis. Under Dr. Xu’s supervision, I will submit an ethics application and develop interview questions. Dr. Xu’s extensive experience with primary research and her expertise in migration and Asian politics will support this project, and will help me strengthen my own research skills.”