By Hafizur Rahman
October 1, 2026
Malaysia has begun sending Myanmar nationals back to Myanmar under a repatriation programme that the Malaysian government says is voluntary. The first group of 1,476 people left Malaysia on September 29, while the government has said the wider plan could involve up to 5,000 people. The exact number of Rohingya included in the first group has not been publicly confirmed.
Dozens of buses carrying Myanmar nationals arrived at a stadium near the Lumut naval base in northwestern Malaysia under police escort on Tuesday. They were later taken to the naval base, where three Myanmar naval vessels transported the group towards Yangon.
The move has raised serious concerns among the United Nations, human rights organisations and Rohingya representatives, who say conditions in Myanmar are still not safe for refugees to return.
The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said it was not involved in the operation. It said that continuing conflict and violence in Myanmar mean that conditions for safe and dignified refugee returns do not currently exist.
“Any refugee return must be voluntary, based on an informed decision, and take place in conditions of safety and dignity,” UNHCR said, according to Al Jazeera.
UNHCR data show that Malaysia hosted about 126,144 registered Rohingya refugees as of the end of February 2026, as part of more than 215,600 refugees and asylum-seekers registered in the country.
Rohingya representatives raise concerns
Anonymous, a respected Rohingya Activist, said the return process raises serious human rights concerns because Rohingya people still do not have adequate safety and security in Myanmar.
“If we see from human rights, it’s a negative process because there is no safety and security for the people,” he said.
He also said the situation in Rakhine State remains complicated because much of the area where Rohingya lived is not under the control of the Myanmar military.
“If we see another side, it is a positive process because Malaysia can test the ability of the Myanmar military to control repatriation. But for now, all Rohingya minorities stay in Arakan (Rakhine State). So now Arakan State is not under the control of the military. It is under the control of the Arakan Army, where genocide still continues,” he said.
The conflict between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army continues in Rakhine State, where many Rohingya originally lived. Rights groups have warned that Rohingya could face further violence, displacement and other serious risks if they are returned.
Rights groups call for the returns to stop
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has urged Malaysia to stop the returns and provide information about who is being sent back and what risks they may face.
MSF said refugees should not be returned to places where their lives may be at risk.
More than 160 civil society organisations have also called for the repatriation process to be stopped. They warned that Rohingya could face violence, displacement and pressure to join armed groups.
Syedul Mostafa, founder and executive director of the Rohingya Youth Advocacy Network, also criticised Malaysia’s decision.
“It is very painful for me to see the people of Malaysia and its government openly rejecting or showing hostility toward people who have been psychologically affected for decades, struggling with social adjustment and civic responsibilities without proper education and without experience of living in towns and cities,” he said.
He also questioned the decision to return vulnerable people to Myanmar while the country’s military remains involved in conflict.
“It is also concerning to see people being returned to the Myanmar military authorities when the military government itself is not internationally accepted and remains involved in serious crimes against opposition parties and ethnic communities across Myanmar,” Mostafa said.
“How can Malaysia return vulnerable people to the Myanmar junta when the situation inside Myanmar remains so dangerous and unstable?”
Fear of forced return
Myanmar Now reported that people still living in Malaysia are also worried about arrest and forced return.
Soe Htet Thein, an official from the Malaysia-based Myanmar Affairs Alliance, told Myanmar Now that people being returned could face forced conscription after arriving in Myanmar.
“Those who haven’t been arrested yet are in constant fear, wondering ‘When will my turn come?’ Those who have been detained are pressured through various methods to force them to return,” he said.
Myanmar Now also reported that some refugee representatives questioned whether returns can truly be considered voluntary when people are detained before being sent back.
Malaysia says returns are voluntary
The Malaysian government says the returns are voluntary. Malaysian officials have also said people will not be returned if they face persecution or serious threats to their lives.
Malaysia is not a member of the 1951 Refugee Convention and does not officially recognise refugee status. UNHCR says that voluntary return should be based on informed decisions and that refugees considering return should receive information about conditions in their country of origin.
Rohingya Gen-Z objects to the returns
Sahat Zia Hero, A Rohingya Gen-Z spokesperson also criticised the Malaysian government’s decision.
“A migration crisis cannot be solved by returning vulnerable refugees to a place where they may face persecution, violence, and grave human rights violations,” the spokesperson said.
“The Malaysian government must not take such a cruel and dangerous approach to migration. Rohingya refugees deserve protection, dignity, and safety, not deportation into the hands of those responsible for their persecution.”
Questions remain over the future of returnees
The return process comes while fighting continues across Myanmar, including in Rakhine State.
For Rohingya who are sending back, major questions remain about their safety, citizenship, housing, employment and access to basic rights.
UNHCR has also said that conditions for voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return to Myanmar do not currently exist.
The Malaysian government has said its wider programme could involve up to 5,000 Myanmar nationals. However, concerns remain over whether Rohingya refugees can safely return to a country where they continue to face serious questions over citizenship, security and their basic rights.
