Malaysia has begun sending about 1,500 Myanmar nationals back to their country despite warnings from the United Nations and human rights organisations that conditions remain unsafe amid Myanmar’s ongoing civil war.
The first group comprises 1,476 people, including 1,370 men, 79 women, 20 boys and seven girls, ranging in age from eight to 60. The repatriation is the first phase of a wider programme that could eventually return up to 5,000 Myanmar nationals.
Malaysia maintains that the programme is voluntary and says the individuals were identified by the Myanmar government. However, the UN refugee agency has said current conditions do not support the safe and sustainable return of refugees and that it was not involved in identifying those being sent back.
Rights groups have also raised concerns over whether adequate safeguards were used to determine who was eligible for return. Some refugee representatives fear returnees could face detention or forced military conscription after arriving in Myanmar.
Malaysia hosts about 193,000 registered refugees from Myanmar, around two-thirds of whom are Rohingya. The government has tightened immigration enforcement amid growing domestic pressure over refugees and undocumented migrants.
The repatriation is expected to remain controversial as Malaysia balances migration management, diplomatic relations and concerns over the safety of people being returned to a country still affected by armed conflict.
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