Malaysia to return 1,500 Rohingya refugees next month, despite safety fears
Summary
Malaysia will begin returning about 1,500 Rohingya refugees to Myanmar on September 29 as part of a voluntary program. The refugees are mainly from the Rohingya minority, who have faced persecution in Myanmar; Malaysia says it will not send back anyone whose life is in danger.Key Facts
- Malaysia plans to return 1,500 Myanmar refugees, mostly Rohingya, starting on September 29.
- The program is voluntary and aims to repatriate a total of 5,000 Rohingya with Myanmar’s agreement.
- Two Myanmar naval warships and a hospital ship will help carry out the returns.
- Malaysia hosts over 126,000 Rohingya refugees, registered with the UN refugee agency.
- Malaysia is not a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention and does not formally recognize refugees.
- Malaysia will stop the returns if there is a risk of persecution or danger to the refugees.
- Human Rights Watch says it is not safe yet for Rohingya to return due to ongoing military violence in Myanmar.
- Over 10,000 Myanmar nationals were held in Malaysian immigration detention as of mid-August, with many awaiting identity checks.
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