Malaysia sends first Myanmar migrants home under disputed return program

Malaysia began repatriating approximately 1,500 Myanmar nationals on Tuesday as part of a program the government describes as voluntary. The migrants arrived by bus under police escort at the Majlis Perbandaran Manjung stadium in northwestern Malaysia to be processed before being transported to a naval base for shipment to Myanmar.

This group represents the first of 5,000 Myanmar citizens Kuala Lumpur claims agreed to return from immigration detention centers. Rights advocates have questioned if these individuals made their decisions freely, citing the ongoing conflict in Myanmar and the conditions within detention facilities. While Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced in July that Myanmar agreed to accept 5,000 members of the Rohingya community, Malaysia and Myanmar have not specified how many Rohingya are included in this first group.

A Myanmar security source stated that vessels are expected to arrive at the Thanlyin Navy Base south of Yangon by the end of the week. Marine traffic data showed the hospital ship Than Lwin anchored outside that base. According to the United Nations, the Rohingya make up about two-thirds of the 190,000 Myanmar refugees and asylum seekers living in Malaysia.