Malaysia starts Rohingya returns as UN warns Myanmar is unsafe
Nearly 1,500 people are included in the first phase. UNHCR says it had no role in the operation and that conditions for safe and dignified returns do not exist.
Malaysia has begun returning nearly 1,500 Rohingya refugees to Myanmar, with officials describing the operation as voluntary. The returns are proceeding amid ongoing fighting in Rakhine state and warnings from the UN refugee agency and rights groups that Myanmar is not safe for return.
Dozens of buses arrived under police escort at a stadium near the Lumut naval base on Tuesday. The passengers were expected to be processed before travelling by ship. Malaysia’s Home Ministry said two Myanmar naval warships and a hospital ship would be used.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees said it had no role in the operation. It said any return must be voluntary, based on an informed decision, and take place in safety and dignity. Rights advocates and more than 160 civil society organisations have called for the returns to stop.
Advocates question whether people held in detention can freely consent to return. Doctors Without Borders has urged Malaysia to halt the operation and disclose who is being returned and the risks each person faces. The available report does not detail individual risk assessments or how people were selected.
Malaysia had more than 126,144 Rohingya refugees as of February 2026, while Bangladesh hosted more than 1.2 million. Myanmar does not officially recognise the Rohingya as an ethnic community with local roots. The return operation follows increased pressure on Rohingya in Malaysia, including arrests of people who gathered outside UNHCR’s Kuala Lumpur office in July.
