The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was forced to close down its operations today after a police van was dispatched this morning to block the entrance to the agency's Kuala Lumpur office.

UNHCR refugee eligibility coordinator Evan Ruth said the agency decided to shut down its operations as it could not "credibly offer protection" to asylum seekers approaching the office.

"We cannot operate with the police present and deterring people from approaching our office. We will have to decide on a day-to-day basis (whether to resume operations) depending on what the police decide to do," he said when contacted.