Brief

Malaysia Begins Deporting Rohingya Refugees to Myanmar Amid Safety Concerns

Malaysia has begun transporting nearly 1,500 Rohingya refugees to Myanmar, a decision that has drawn sharp criticism from international human rights organisations.

By Felo News Desk · Published Tue, 29 Sep 2026 17:00:08 GMT

On Tuesday, Malaysia began a repatriation programme that will see roughly 1,500 Rohingya refugees return to Myanmar, a country that has been accused of genocide against the group. The first group will be transported from the Lumut naval base in Perak state aboard two Myanmarese warships and a hospital ship.

Malaysia’s government described the return as voluntary, but rights groups and the United Nations have warned that Myanmar remains unsafe for Rohingya refugees. The United Nations has repeatedly criticised the repatriation, citing the ongoing civil war and the military junta’s record of persecution.

Rohingya activists, including Farooq Pacifist, have called the deportation a “death sentence,” warning that the refugees could be sent back to front‑line fighting or imprisoned. The Independent reported that the plan could eventually return up to 5,000 refugees, a figure that the Malaysian government has confirmed in a deal with Myanmar.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the government had reached a voluntary repatriation agreement with Myanmar and that he was planning to invite Myanmar’s dictator‑turned‑president Min Aung Hlaing to Kuala Lumpur to expedite the process. The Malaysian navy has been patrolling the area around the Lumut base as the ships prepare to depart.

Journalists were barred from the stadium near the naval base where the buses arrived under police escort. The United Nations and several rights groups have called for Malaysia to halt the repatriation programme, citing the dangerous conditions in Myanmar.

Key facts

Malaysia began sending about 1,500 Rohingya refugees back to Myanmar on Tuesday (aljazeera.com)
The refugees will be transported from Lumut naval base aboard two Myanmarese warships and a hospital ship (independent.co.uk)
The United Nations and rights groups have warned that Myanmar remains unsafe for Rohingya refugees (aljazeera.com)
Rohingya activist Farooq Pacifist described the deportation as a “death sentence” (independent.co.uk)
The repatriation programme could eventually return up to 5,000 refugees (independent.co.uk)
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Malaysia had reached a voluntary repatriation agreement with Myanmar (independent.co.uk)

Background

The Rohingya crisis began in 2017 when a wave of violence in Myanmar led hundreds of thousands of Rohingya to flee to neighbouring countries, including Malaysia. Malaysia has hosted over 126,000 Rohingya refugees as of February 2026.