Get you up to speed: Malaysia vows not to return Rohingya refugees to Myanmar if lives at risk
Malaysia will not repatriate 5,000 Rohingya refugees to Myanmar if their lives are at risk. Government spokesman Fahmi Fadzil stated that the foreign and home ministries are reviewing the repatriation plan, amid concerns from rights groups regarding potential persecution.
The government is currently reviewing the repatriation plan, with no timeline provided for its completion. Malaysia remains one of Southeast Asia’s largest hosts of refugees despite not officially recognising refugee status under the UN framework.
Malaysia’s government has stated it will not repatriate 5,000 Rohingya refugees if their lives are at risk, with spokesperson Fahmi Fadzil emphasising the need for a thorough assessment before any decision is made. Rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, have called for Malaysia to reconsider its stance, warning of ongoing persecution in Myanmar and urging the government to lead by example in addressing the crisis.
What remains unclear — It is uncertain when Malaysia will complete its assessment regarding the safety of the 5,000 refugees proposed for repatriation.
Malaysia will not repatriate Rohingya refugees to Myanmar if lives are at risk
News|RefugeesMalaysia vows not to return Rohingya refugees to Myanmar if lives at risk
Authorities are screening 5,000 refugees as rights groups warn they remain at risk of persecution in Myanmar.
Published On 5 Aug 20265 Aug 2026
Malaysia has said it will not proceed with the repatriation of 5,000 Rohingya refugees to Myanmar if their lives would be at risk upon return.
On Wednesday, government spokesman Fahmi Fadzil said the foreign and home ministries were still reviewing the repatriation plan voiced last week by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Malaysia hosts more than 215,000 refugees and asylum seekers registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, including more than 126,000 Rohingya from Myanmar, the country’s largest refugee community.
Although it hosts one of Southeast Asia’s biggest refugee populations, Malaysia is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and does not formally recognise refugee status.
Many Rohingya fled Myanmar during the military’s 2017 crackdown, which forced thousands to seek refuge abroad.
Rights groups say Rohingya refugees in Malaysia have faced growing online hate campaigns and disinformation, fuelling xenophobia and intimidation.
Wednesday’s announcement came after refugee schools across Malaysia were forced to shut down amid a surge in online hate speech, refugees were evicted from informal settlements in Penang state, and more than 100 Rohingya were briefly detained after gathering outside the UN refugee agency’s office in Kuala Lumpur to seek assistance.
They were later released after officials confirmed they held valid UN documentation.
‘Responsible country’
Fadzil said Malaysia would only proceed with the plan after assessing whether the refugees would face persecution or threats to their lives if returned.
“Malaysia, as a responsible country, will not return the 5,000 Myanmar refugees if they would either be persecuted or their lives would be threatened,” he told a news briefing.
He added that Myanmar’s military government, led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, had indicated it was ready to receive the refugees, but stressed that Malaysia would first assess the criteria for the repatriation before deciding whether to proceed.
Rights group oppose plan
The plan has drawn criticism from rights groups. Human Rights Watch urged Malaysia to reverse course, warning that Rohingya refugees remain at risk of persecution and other serious rights abuses in Myanmar.
“The Malaysian government should show regional leadership in responding to the crisis in Myanmar rather than forcibly returning people who are the targets of the junta’s brutality,” Bryony Lau, the organisation’s deputy director for Asia, said in a statement.
Malaysia’s main Rohingya rights group also urged the government to halt the plan, saying refugees’ lives would be at risk if they were returned.
Myanmar’s military authorities have not publicly commented on the proposal.