Malaysia Begins Deportation of 1,500 Myanmar Nationals

Malaysia began deporting about 1,500 Myanmar nationals on Tuesday under a repatriation programme that has drawn objections from the United Nations and human rights organisations over safety concerns in conflict-hit Myanmar.

The operation marks the first stage of a broader agreement between Malaysia and Myanmar that could eventually result in the return of up to 5,000 people. Malaysian authorities maintain that participation in the programme is voluntary, while refugee advocates have questioned whether returnees can safely go back amid Myanmar’s ongoing civil war.

Dozens of buses escorted by security vehicles arrived Tuesday morning at a stadium near the Lumut naval base in Malaysia’s Perak state before proceeding toward the port. Two Myanmar naval vessels and a hospital ship were docked there.

Malaysia’s Home Ministry confirmed that the deportation process had started. An earlier ministry statement said 1,476 Myanmar nationals identified by Myanmar authorities were involved.

Myanmar has faced widespread armed conflict since the military seized power in a 2021 coup. The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, has said conditions do not currently allow for the safe and sustainable return of Myanmar refugees and said it was not involved in identifying the people selected for repatriation.

Malaysia hosts approximately 193,000 refugees from Myanmar registered with UNHCR, with Rohingya Muslims accounting for roughly two-thirds. It remains unclear whether Rohingya refugees were among Tuesday’s returnees.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said in July that Myanmar had agreed to accept as many as 5,000 Rohingya refugees. Malaysia has also stepped up immigration enforcement amid growing domestic hostility toward refugee communities.

James Bawi Thang Bik, a representative of Myanmar’s Chin refugee community in Malaysia, said community leaders had identified several asylum-seekers among those being deported, including one UNHCR card holder.

He warned that people returned to Myanmar could face detention or forced military conscription, citing accounts from previously deported refugees. Rights groups have similarly urged Malaysia to halt returns until conditions in Myanmar allow refugees to return safely and voluntarily.