Malaysia will not send 5,000 refugees back to Myanmar if their lives are threatened or persecuted, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil announced on Wednesday. The commitment follows Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's recent announcement that Myanmar a
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Malaysia will not send 5,000 refugees back to Myanmar if their lives are threatened or persecuted, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil announced on Wednesday.
The commitment follows Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s recent announcement that Myanmar agreed to accept 5,000 Rohingya refugees. Malaysian officials are currently examining safety criteria before carrying out any returns.
Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail stated that 4,000 detained refugees are being consolidated at one depot for screening. This follows the brief detention of over 100 UN-documented Rohingya in Kuala Lumpur last week.
Local Rohingya rights advocates have urged officials to stop the plan, citing extreme risks upon return. Notably, Malaysia is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and lacks formal recognition for refugees.
Malaysia hosts more than 215,000 UN-registered asylum seekers and refugees, including over 126,000 Rohingya who escaped military crackdowns in Myanmar.
