Second-generation Rohingya refugees in Malaysia: neither here nor there

Rohingya refugees have been in a state of protracted displacement for decades. For these refugees seeking safety in Malaysia, their status is in limbo, despite their prolonged residency. The prolonged displacement also means that more Rohingya refugees are born in Malaysia or have lived in the country since youth. Existing research on Rohingya refugees in protracted displacement in Malaysia has focused on integration, citizenship, mobility and their involvement in the Malaysian economy. This research expands the discourse by arguing that home, as a socially reproduced space, exists in micro, meso, and macro settings, where questions of citizenship, mobility, spatial practices and interactions shape second-generation Rohingya refugees' experiences of integrating into the Malaysian community. By examining spatial practices, mobility and interactions embedded in space and place, this study provides a comprehensive overview of the inclusion and exclusion experienced by the second-generation Rohingya refugees living in urban areas. By using life story interviews, focus group discussions, and participant observation with 35 s-generation Rohingya refugees living in urban Kuala Lumpur and its neighboring districts, this research reveals that Rohingya refugees' spatial practices, mobility as well as interactions influence the inclusion and exclusion that they face across various domains of integration, including housing, work, education, healthcare, social bonds, and citizenship. The selective inclusion and exclusion across different spaces subsequently affected the second-generation refugees' sense of belonging, despite spending their whole lives in Malaysia. This study highlights the need for a coherent and cohesive policy to address the precarity of refugees living in Malaysia.