Malaysia returned nearly 1,500 Myanmar nationals: UN warned of war and persecution risks

Malaysia continues to deport refugees being returned to Myanmar despite the UN's warnings about their safety. 

 

1,479 Myanmar citizens were transported from Malaysia on two naval vessels and one hospital ship, arriving in Yangon in southern Myanmar on Sunday. Regional government minister Nay Lin Tun announced this.

 

This group is part of 5,000 Myanmar citizens planned to be returned from Malaysia in stages. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, more than 10,300 additional Myanmar nationals are being held in immigration detention centers.

 

Malaysia maintains that all those returned agreed to return to their homeland voluntarily. However, human rights organizations have stated that the refugees' choice may be limited. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has reported that its staff were not allowed to meet with the Myanmar nationals being returned. Therefore, it has not been possible to verify whether their decision was truly made freely and knowingly.

 

The majority of Myanmar refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia are Rohingya. It is currently unknown how many Rohingya are among those returned.

 

The deportation was carried out at a time when immigration raids have intensified in areas where refugees live in Malaysia. According to data, more than 50,000 refugees were detained during such raids in 2026.

 

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced the plan to return refugees in July. Kuala Lumpur is currently preparing to return a second group of more than 3,500 refugees and migrants. The government states that they place a financial, social, and security-related burden on the country.

 

Malaysia is not a party to the UN Convention on the Status of Refugees and regards refugees as undocumented migrants. At the same time, there are approximately 215,600 refugees and asylum seekers registered with UNHCR in the country. More than 126,000 of them are predominantly Muslim Rohingya.

 

The Myanmar government has promised to ensure that returning citizens return to their homeland in "safe and dignified" conditions. However, according to Yap Lay Sheng, a representative of the human rights organization Fortify Rights, it is difficult to predict how the Myanmar regime will treat those returned.

 

UNHCR and human rights organizations have expressed concern that those returned may face persecution or be subjected to forced military service in Myanmar.

 

Civil war has continued in Myanmar since the military overthrew the elected government and seized power in 2021. According to ACLED project data, more than 100,000 people have died as a result of the war in the country since the military coup.

 

Myanmar military coup leader Min Aung Hlaing was appointed to the position of civilian president in April. He is expected to visit Malaysia soon to discuss the issue of returning refugees.