On November 1, 2021, Waseda University’s Global Asia Research Center hosted a Postgraduate Workshop Series featuring Doctoral students. A Ph.D. candidate at Waseda University, Mr. ABRAHA Desale,presented his work focusing on an examination of the legitimization strategies for Rohingya refugees in Malaysia, focusing on the use of blockchain technology to leverage possibilities for them to gain access to opportunities for social inclusion into the hosting society by having legal documentation and legal identity.

The presentation was started by referring to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development goal target 16.9, which stipulated “identity for all, including the planet’s most vulnerable and marginalized people” despite the global phenomena of grudge or rejection of accepting them in most developed countries; also, the UN New York Declaration 2016 urged to protect refugees, insisting that each state should grant nationality to those who are stateless. Therefore, the UN has proposed to facilitate the application of new technologies such as “blockchain-based digital identity” to enhance the member states’ cooperation in promoting the status of refugees by granting nationality to them or issuing legal documentation.

Mr. ABRAHA Desale pointed out that now it is urgent to legitimize stateless refugees. Take the Rohingya refugees, for instance, who have been confronted with countless challenges such as being stateless and undocumented across the world and being deprived of their basic human rights, and coping with poverty. Thus, countries that are not a party to the 1951 refugee convention can still integrate stateless refugees into the hosting society and build a successful and fulfilling life. The Rohingya project based in Malaysia is currently helping their people, issuing digital identity, and filling the gap between the hosting societies. As the technology itself is a bit complicated and can be a threat to national security; thus, only the local authority agreed to access it and helped to give full access to education, banking, and health care services. 

After a very insightful presentation, Mr. ABRAHA Desale stressed that refugee legitimization could be achieved by creating their digital identity, specifically applying blockchain technology. However, the pilot project heavily depends on the goodwill of the local authority. Therefore, it is necessary for the refugees, as well as other refugee-leading stakeholders, to actively facilitate and negotiate with the host government to enable smooth practice and cater to their stateless diaspora in Malaysia in the near future.

After a fruitful discussion, Mr. ABRAHA Desale responded to several questions given by audiences and sparked a lot of interest in the so-called ‘Blockchain technology’ and his future project.