Malaysia to Repatriate 1,500 Rohingya Refugees Amid Safety Concerns

Malaysia has finalised the first phase of a voluntary repatriation programme that will see at least 1,500 eligible Myanmar nationals return to Myanmar on September 29, despite concerns over their safety.

The Malaysian government said the repatriation process would involve two Myanmar naval ships and a hospital ship. The programme is part of an agreement under which Myanmar’s military-backed authorities would accept the return of up to 5,000 Myanmar nationals, including members of the persecuted Rohingya minority.

Malaysia said more than 4,000 people, mainly Rohingya, would be enrolled in its Refugee Registration Document programme, while another 5,000 would undergo the voluntary repatriation process.

As of mid-August, 10,388 Myanmar nationals were being held in Malaysian immigration detention centres. Authorities said they were working to verify the identities, citizenship, immigration status, asylum claims and security backgrounds of those detained.

Rights Groups Warn of Dangers

Human rights organisations have raised serious concerns about returning Rohingya refugees to Myanmar, where they could face persecution and violence.

Earlier this month, Malaysian authorities said they would not repatriate refugees if their lives were at risk. Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said Malaysia would not return the refugees if they faced persecution or threats to their lives.

However, Human Rights Watch has warned that conditions for a safe, dignified and voluntary return to Myanmar do not currently exist. The organisation has also accused Myanmar’s military of continuing to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Malaysia is home to more than 215,000 refugees and asylum seekers registered with the UN refugee agency, including more than 126,000 Rohingya.

The Rohingya have faced decades of discrimination and persecution in Myanmar, which does not recognise them as an official ethnic group. More than one million Rohingya are currently living in Bangladesh after fleeing a major military crackdown in Myanmar’s Rakhine State in 2017.

• Tweet
• Share
• Share
• Share
• Share