Malaysia has begun repatriating around 1,500 Myanmar nationals as part of a phased programme to return up to 5,000 people to Myanmar. The Malaysian government describes the returns as voluntary, while rights groups have raised concerns over the safety and circumstances of those being sent back.
Dozens of buses carrying the migrants arrived under police escort at a stadium near the Lumut naval base in northwestern Malaysia on Tuesday. The migrants were expected to undergo processing before being transported to the naval base and taken to Myanmar by ship.
The first group is part of a wider repatriation arrangement agreed between Malaysia and Myanmar. The Malaysian Home Ministry had earlier said that the first phase involved 1,476 Myanmar nationals and would be carried out using two Myanmar Navy warships and a hospital ship.
The exact number of Rohingya among those being returned has not been publicly disclosed. Rohingya Muslims make up a significant proportion of Myanmar refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia.
Human rights and civil society organisations have urged Malaysia to halt the deportations, arguing that conditions in Myanmar remain unsafe due to the ongoing conflict and persecution. More than 160 civil society groups recently called for the process to be suspended pending further discussions.
Myanmar authorities have said the repatriation involves verified nationals and have pledged that returns will be conducted safely and with dignity. Malaysia, meanwhile, has continued to describe the programme as voluntary.
Malaysia is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and does not formally recognise refugee status. The country hosts a large population of refugees and asylum seekers from Myanmar, including Rohingya who fled the country following the military crackdown in 2017.
