In a statement, Human Rights Watch (HRW) also said the government must allow the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) access to the detention centres.

As of Oct 26, HRW said, a total of 756 children, nearly half of whom are from Myanmar, are being detained at centres nationwide without their parents or guardians.

“It’s appalling that Malaysia is detaining so many children in overcrowded and unsanitary detention facilities, often without parents or guardians,” said HRW deputy Asia director Phil Robertson.

“These vulnerable children, including many who likely fled atrocities in Myanmar, should be cared for, not treated as criminals.”

Robertson said children under detention were exposed to health risks, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress and suicidal thoughts.

He said it also exposed them to risk of sexual abuse and exploitation, even when children are not detained with unrelated adults.

He said the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Malaysia is a party to, prohibits the detention of children for immigration reasons.

“Immigration authorities should stop playing games with people’s lives and immediately release all detained children and grant the UN refugee agency access to all detained refugees and asylum seekers,” Robertson said.

Since the lockdown, the government has clamped down on undocumented migrants, carrying out raids and detaining many in the immigration detention centres.

Health and human rights groups have warned that this is counterproductive to efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19.