UNHCR Raises Concern Over Malaysia Returns to Myanmar

Post by : Saif

Malaysia’s return of around 1,500 Myanmar nationals has raised concern from the United Nations Refugee Agency, which warned that people sent back could face serious risks because of conditions in Myanmar. The group included children and people who had been held in immigration detention.

The returns began on September 29 as part of a repatriation programme agreed between Malaysia and Myanmar. The first phase could eventually be followed by the return of up to 5,000 people.

UNHCR Questions Safety of Returns

UNHCR said it was concerned about the returns because Myanmar continues to face serious humanitarian and security problems following the 2021 military coup and the conflict that followed.

Edem Wosornu, UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, said some of those sent back could need international protection. The agency also raised questions about whether people held in immigration detention were able to make a genuinely voluntary decision to return.

UNHCR said it did not have access to the detention centres where the people were held, meaning it could not independently assess the circumstances surrounding their decisions to return.

Malaysia Says Returns Are Voluntary

Malaysia has maintained that the repatriation programme is voluntary. The government has said people included in the programme agreed to return to Myanmar.

Myanmar has also said it is working with other countries to support the voluntary return of verified displaced people in what it describes as a safe and dignified process.

UNHCR's own guidance says voluntary repatriation should take place when people choose to return and when conditions allow for safety and dignity.

Concerns Over Non-Refoulement

UNHCR also referred to the international protection principle known as non-refoulement. Under this principle, people should not be returned to a country where they could face persecution, torture or other serious threats to their life or freedom.

The agency has previously warned that Myanmar is not currently considered safe for many refugees and displaced people to return. In September, UNHCR said conditions for voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable returns did not exist for Rohingya refugees.

Read more: Malaysia Court Rejects Najib Razak’s Request for House Arrest

Rohingya Refugees Among Those Affected

Malaysia hosts a large Myanmar refugee population. UNHCR says around 181,000 refugees and asylum-seekers are in the country, with about 85% coming from Myanmar, including roughly 103,000 Rohingya.

Many Rohingya fled Myanmar after the military crackdown in 2017. Their situation remains linked to the wider conflict and humanitarian crisis inside the country.

More than 160 civil society organisations had previously urged Malaysia to stop planned returns, citing concerns over violence and other risks in Myanmar.

Repatriation Plan Could Expand

The September 29 operation represents the first phase of the Malaysia-Myanmar repatriation plan. The wider agreement could result in as many as 5,000 Myanmar nationals being returned.

The programme has therefore become a major focus of debate over refugee protection and voluntary returns in Malaysia.

UNHCR continues to emphasise that people considering return should receive reliable information about conditions in their home country and have the opportunity to make an informed decision. For those who may face serious protection risks, the agency says safe and dignified conditions remain essential before return can take place.

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