Indonesia’s UNHRC chair role hailed by civil society, with calls to strengthen refugee rights at home

Indonesia’s election as Chair of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for the 2026 term has been welcomed by a broad coalition of Indonesian civil society organisations monitoring refugee and asylum seeker issues.

The coalition describes the appointment as international recognition of Indonesia’s diplomatic standing—while warning that global leadership must be matched by tangible improvements in the country’s domestic human rights record, particularly in its treatment of refugees.

In a joint press release, the coalition frames Indonesia’s chairmanship as a “golden opportunity” to demonstrate moral leadership at a time when forced displacement across Southeast Asia is intensifying.

With refugee movements rising due to conflict, persecution, and instability, Indonesia is expected not only to play a convening role in Geneva, but also to champion concrete and transparent regional cooperation grounded in humanitarian principles rather than short-term political considerations.

Leadership abroad, obligations at home

The coalition stresses that international credibility depends on domestic reform. Central to its call is the strengthening of Presidential Regulation No. 125 of 2016 on the Handling of Refugees from Abroad, Indonesia’s primary policy framework for refugee protection.

While the regulation provides a basic legal basis for coordination among state institutions, civil society groups argue that it remains insufficiently comprehensive and lacks a strong human rights orientation.

They urge the government to ensure the effective fulfilment of refugees’ basic rights, including access to healthcare, education for children, and protection from forcible return.

The latter principle—non-refoulement—is a cornerstone of international human rights and refugee law, prohibiting states from returning individuals to territories where they face persecution or serious harm.

Although Indonesia is not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention, the coalition notes that the country is still bound by non-refoulement under customary international law and its broader human rights obligations. Failure to uphold these standards, they warn, undermines Indonesia’s moral authority as chair of the UN’s principal human rights body.

Documented shortcomings and high-profile incidents

The press release points to a number of incidents in recent years that have raised serious concerns about Indonesia’s handling of refugees and asylum seekers.

One recurring issue is the response to maritime arrivals, particularly involving Rohingya refugees landing along the coast of Aceh. Civil society organisations have criticised what they describe as delayed, inconsistent, or inadequate rescue and reception measures.

Indonesia is a state party to the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which imposes clear obligations to render assistance to vessels in distress.

These duties are also reflected in Article 9 of Presidential Regulation No. 125 of 2016. Yet, according to the coalition, practice on the ground has not always aligned with these legal commitments.

Concerns have also been raised about violations of non-refoulement in airport and border procedures. In one documented case in 2023, an asylum seeker from Myanmar was denied entry upon arrival and returned to the country of departure, despite an identified risk of persecution.

Such actions, the coalition argues, expose individuals to grave danger and contravene Indonesia’s international responsibilities.

Structural barriers to education and health

Beyond immediate protection concerns, the coalition highlights systemic challenges in accessing education and healthcare. While refugee children may attend primary and secondary schools in certain areas, access to higher education remains effectively closed.

Administrative barriers, the absence of refugee-friendly admission mechanisms, and a lack of scholarships or free tertiary education programmes leave most refugees without realistic pathways to further study.

Health care presents similar difficulties. Refugees and asylum seekers are generally prohibited from working and therefore lack income.

As a result, medical treatment—especially long-term or specialised care—often requires out-of-pocket payment, placing it beyond reach for many. Civil society groups emphasise that under international human rights law, accessibility includes economic affordability; services that exist in theory but are financially inaccessible do not meet this standard.

Indonesia as a regional bridge

As UNHRC chair, the coalition argues, Indonesia is uniquely positioned to act as a bridge among Southeast Asian states, many of which adopt restrictive or punitive approaches towards asylum seekers.

This role, they say, carries a moral mandate to encourage neighbouring countries to abandon policies that expose migrants to harm, detention, or refoulement.

Indonesia’s leadership should ensure that people fleeing emergencies receive prompt initial assistance in line with international law and universal humanitarian principles. This includes rescue at sea, humane reception, and protection from violence and exploitation.

A protracted crisis in a transit country

The coalition’s statement situates these concerns within the broader context of Indonesia’s long-standing role as a transit country rather than a destination for refugees.

With slow and limited resettlement opportunities to third countries, thousands of refugees remain in prolonged limbo, facing years of uncertainty over their futures.

This protracted situation has generated complex social, health, and security challenges. Local governments—particularly in frontline regions such as Aceh—often struggle with shelter capacity, funding constraints, and inter-agency coordination.

Tensions with host communities sometimes emerge, driven by misunderstandings, economic disparities, and resentment over perceived assistance received by refugees.

Refugees themselves face severe psychological strain. Extended waiting periods, past trauma, and separation from family members contribute to high levels of depression and anxiety. Civil society organisations have documented cases of self-harm and suicide among refugees, underscoring the human cost of prolonged uncertainty.

Lives in limbo

Personal accounts included in recent reporting by independent media initiatives illustrate the depth of this suffering.

In Makassar, refugees describe attending frequent funerals of fellow asylum seekers who have died from illness or taken their own lives.

Since 2013, at least 17 refugees—predominantly from Afghanistan’s Hazara community—are known to have died by suicide in Indonesia, with more than 20 attempted suicides reported by community members.

Stories such as that of Bismillah, a 50-year-old father from Kabul who has lived in Indonesia for more than a decade, reflect a shared reality of loss, separation, and indefinite waiting. Having fled conflict and persecution, he now lives in a small room provided with support from the International Organization for Migration, watching his children grow up only through a mobile phone screen.

Such testimonies, civil society groups argue, challenge abstract policy debates and demand a more humane, rights-based response.

Calls for cooperation and accountability

The coalition concludes by calling for closer synergy between the government and civil society during Indonesia’s UNHRC chairmanship. Monitoring, dialogue, and accountability, they argue, are essential to ensure that this period of international leadership produces tangible improvements on the ground.

They warn against allowing the chairmanship to become merely a diplomatic symbol in Geneva. Instead, they urge Indonesia to use the moment to deliver real change for the thousands of refugees and asylum seekers living in uncertainty across the country.

“Strong leadership,” the coalition states, “is leadership that protects the most vulnerable.”

Among the organisations endorsing the statement are the Association for Refugee Rights Protection (SUAKA), Human Rights Working Group (HRWG), Jesuit Refugee Service Indonesia, MER-C Indonesia, SAFEnet, KontraS Aceh, and Amnesty International Indonesia.