The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has been given access to the group of asylum seekers who were arrested by police on Tuesday outside the agency's office in Kuala Lumpur.

Its refugee eligibility coordinator Evan Ruth said several protection officers who went to the Langkap detention camp in Perak on Wednesday were able to register the detainees.

"We have been given access to (the detainees) and we have been able to register all of them. We now have a full list of the people who were arrested," he said when contacted yesterday.

He said one female asylum seeker had gone into labour at the camp and was later transported to the Teluk Intan hospital where she gave birth to a child three months prematurely.

However, Ruth ( right ) could not confirm latest news that the government may reconsider its earlier plans to deport the asylum seekers.

"So far, we have not heard anything on that," he said.

On Tuesday, the police launched a large-scale anti-illegal immigrant operation and arrested more than 200 people, including women and children, as they approached the refugee agency. The majority of them claim to be Acehnese.

Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had defended the arrests saying that "foreigners" without valid entry permits would be deported to their home countries as the government's stand on asylum seekers was no different to that on other illegal immigrants.

However, yesterday he said the government was considering the possibility of giving the asylum seekers temporary stay and that Malaysia does not send people into "conflict areas".

Limited option

On the possibility of resettling the Acehnese in third countries, Ruth said UNHCR could not guarantee resettlement for all cases they consider to be refugees.

"Resettlement possibilities are limited and it is not entirely within our control. It is up to the resettlement countries to decide whether they want to accept refugees. So we cannot rely on this solution," he said.

Since the situation in Aceh does not allow for voluntary repatriation, Ruth said UNHCR would like to advocate local integration for refugees on a temporary basis.

"No (refugee) has been forcibly returned by Malaysia yet. We want to continue our dialogue with the government," he said.

In a similar swoop last August, the government detained more than 100 asylum seekers outside the UNHCR compound as they sought protection from the then-newly enforced immigration law which allows for jailing and whipping of undocumented immigrants.

Some of those who were subsequently recognised by UNHCR were released only earlier this month - after more than a year in detention - when they were accepted for resettlement in Denmark.

Police presence

Meanwhile, Ruth said UNHCR was unable to resume their activities yesterday as the police had once again arrived to deter asylum seekers from approaching the agency.

"The police were present again (yesterday) morning so we have to suspend our (registration) activities. We are not sure how many people would be willing and confident enough to approach our office with the heavy police presence.

"We hope the police would not intervene next week," he said.

Yesterday, Brickfields district police chief Zulhasnan Najib said this was merely routine patrol.

UNHCR recently streamlined its registration process by setting aside three days in a week - Tuesdays to Thursdays - for registration of asylum seekers.

Tuesdays are designated for Acehnese asylum seekers while those of other nationalities are required to be present the other two days.

It is believed that the large numbers of asylum seekers gathering at the vicinity of the UNHCR compound prompted the crackdown by the police.