Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (BBN)-Malaysia and Indonesia have said they will offer migrants immediate temporary shelter.
Malaysia and Indonesia came with the announcement a day after Philippines has signalled it is ready to take in thousands of migrants who are stranded on Asia’s seas.
Philippines was the first country to offer shelter after its south-east Asian neighbours blocked the migrants from entering into their territory.
Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said his country and Indonesia would stop towing the boats into other territories as navies have been doing in recent days, reports BBC.
Aman made the announcement after holding an emergency meeting with foreign ministers from Indonesia and Thailand in Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur.
He said we “need to assist these people” and that “because of the conditions they are experiencing we are willing to take them on to our shores”.
However, he said they would not actively search for migrants, only provide temporary shelter if they came ashore, and under the condition that the international community would help to repatriate or resettle them within a year.
Thailand was not part of the announcement and has not yet commented.
