Stateless Filipino children in modern day Sabah: issues of concern and responses of the state government
Khan, Jassica Jane Mohd Afsur1, Fauziah Fathil2.
Stateless children have been an ongoing issue specifically in Sabah state for years
since independence in 1963. The civil war back in the late 1960s in Southern
Philippines saw a tremendous number of refugees from the country seeking refuge
in Sabah. They were among the earliest refugees from Mindanao that came to the
state whose presence over the years has resulted in the rising number of stateless
children of Filipino origin. Although being born and raised in Sabah, legally the
children are not citizens of Sabah due to the absence of proper documentation of
birth records or certificates. This paper is based on a qualitative study using
content analysis. The analysis involves mainly secondary sources with the aim to
shed light on the root cause of the issue and identify actions taken by the Sabah
government towards finding solutions to the problem. In doing so, the study is
assessed against the standpoint and response of the Sabah government, the
background of Filipino migrants in Sabah and their stateless children, and the
socio-economic and political contexts of the state as a whole. The findings indicate
that the root cause of the issue is very complicated and despite some actions taken
by the Sabah government, the matter continues to persist affecting not only the
refugees and their stateless children but the local people and state of Sabah.
Finally, the paper ends with some recommendations i.e. several proposed actions
to be taken by relevant parties so that the issue which has been ongoing for decades
in Sabah and affected the lives of so many children could be finally solved.
Affiliation:
- International Islamic University Malaysia, Malaysia
- International Islamic University Malaysia, Malaysia
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