Malaysia Repatriates Thousands of Myanmar Detainees Amid Return Concerns
Anwar provided the figure during Ministers’ Question Time in Malaysia’s lower house of parliament, the Dewan Rakyat, in Kuala Lumpur, while responding to questions about the government’s policy toward Myanmar nationals in the country.
The discussion covered refugees, asylum seekers and members of the Rohingya community, as well as other Myanmar citizens held by Malaysian immigration authorities.
According to Anwar, some detainees were sent back to Myanmar by air under arrangements initiated by authorities in Myanmar, while approximately 1,400 others were transported by sea aboard Myanmar naval vessels.
On Sept. 29, Malaysia returned 1,476 Myanmar nationals on three Myanmar naval ships as part of a wider arrangement involving approximately 5,000 people.
The returnees had been held across 14 immigration detention centers in Malaysia. Before their departure, Malaysian authorities carried out identity verification procedures and health checks and said the individuals were being returned voluntarily.
The repatriation program has nevertheless raised concerns from international organizations over the safety of people being sent back to Myanmar, where armed conflict and instability continue.
The UN Refugee Agency expressed concern about the operation, arguing that the conditions in Myanmar do not currently allow for returns that can be considered safe and sustainable.
UN Special Rapporteur on Myanmar Kelley Currie also called on Malaysia to suspend the repatriation program, warning that people returned to Myanmar could face persecution or other serious violations of their rights.
The Malaysian government’s position on the returns comes as authorities continue to manage a large population of Myanmar nationals with different legal and humanitarian circumstances, including undocumented migrants, refugees and asylum seekers.
The scale of the repatriations since January highlights Malaysia’s ongoing efforts to address immigration detention while also drawing international attention to the risks faced by those being returned to a country still affected by conflict.
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