Malaysia says it will not deport Rohingya if there are risks to their safety

Malaysia's government announced yesterday that it will not proceed with the planned repatriation of 5,000 Myanmar refugees if their lives are found to be at risk upon return.

Background of the Repatriation Plan

Deputy Foreign Minister Lukanisman Awang Sauni recently stated that approximately 5,000 Myanmar nationals currently held in immigration detention depots would be repatriated as soon as Myanmar is ready to accept them. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim confirmed this on July 30.

"We have good relations with Myanmar. They have now agreed to take 5,000 Rohingya from Malaysia," Anwar said during a campaign rally in Negeri Sembilan state.

Current Review Process

Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil told a press briefing yesterday that Malaysia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs are currently reviewing the plan to identify the 5,000 refugees to be returned to Myanmar.

"Malaysia, as a responsible country, will not return the 5,000 Myanmar refugees if they would either be persecuted or their lives would be threatened," he said, according to Reuters. He added that there were "several matters" that needed to be discussed with authorities in Myanmar.

"The Prime Minister has taken note that we cannot send them back if their lives are threatened," Fahmi said. "So there are several matters currently being studied by the Foreign Ministry."

Rising Hostility Toward Rohingya

The deportation plan follows a recent surge in xenophobic rhetoric and public hostility toward Rohingya Muslims, particularly online. In recent months, prominent public figures have described the Rohingya as "criminals" and "intruders," likening them to a "cancer" on the country. Rohingya refugee schools across Malaysia have been forced to close due to harassment and threats.

Late last month, more than 100 refugees were detained by authorities after gathering outside the UNHCR building in Kuala Lumpur to seek assistance, following their eviction from a settlement in Penang state.

Rohingya in Malaysia: A Growing Population

Rohingya asylum seekers have arrived in Malaysia steadily over the past two decades, particularly since 2017, when an ethnic cleansing campaign by the Myanmar military pushed more than 740,000 people from Rakhine State into Bangladesh. Initially welcomed by co-religionists, public opinion has soured in recent years as the population has continued to grow.

Approximately 126,000 Rohingya asylum seekers are currently registered with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Kuala Lumpur, representing around half of the agency's total caseload in Malaysia. However, Malaysia does not recognize the Rohingya as refugees. As public sentiment has become more hostile, the government has tightened enforcement of immigration laws. Last month, Malaysia ordered UNHCR to temporarily stop registering new refugees in the country, so it could begin operating its own system for managing asylum-seekers.

Challenges to Repatriation

With third-country resettlement becoming more difficult—particularly due to new U.S. government restrictions on refugee admissions—repatriation to Myanmar appears to be the most likely "solution."

However, human rights groups argue that any proper investigation would conclude there is little chance the Rohingya can return home safely. Myanmar's military-backed government continues to view Rohingya as illegal Bengali immigrants from Bangladesh, and any assurances about returnee safety cannot be taken at face value. Furthermore, most of Rakhine State is now controlled by the Arakan Army (AA), a Rakhine nationalist group that has also been complicit in attacks on and mistreatment of Rohingya communities.

Human Rights Watch Calls for Suspension

In a statement earlier this week, advocacy group Human Rights Watch (HRW) called on Malaysia to suspend the repatriation, declaring that "conditions for safe, dignified, and voluntary return to Myanmar do not currently exist."

"Malaysia has for many years hosted refugees from Myanmar who have fled unending oppression and atrocities by the Myanmar military," HRW's Bryony Lau said in the statement. "The Malaysian government should show regional leadership in responding to the crisis in Myanmar rather than forcibly returning people who are the targets of the junta's brutality."