{"id":2097,"date":"2026-08-05T19:30:12","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T19:30:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=2097"},"modified":"2026-08-05T19:30:12","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T19:30:12","slug":"malaysia-vows-not-to-return-rohingya-refugees-to-myanmar-if-lives-at-risk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=2097","title":{"rendered":"Malaysia vows not to return Rohingya refugees to Myanmar if lives at risk"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"rich-share\" data-testid=\"rich-share\">\n<div class=\"rich-share__divider\">\n<div class=\"listen-to-article\"><button class=\"listen-to-article__button\" data-testid=\"listen-to-article-button\"><title>Listen<\/title>Listen (3 mins)<\/button><\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-share__update-reading-list-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"update-reading-list\">\n<p class=\"update-reading-list__button-text\">Save<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-share__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"rich-share__button-wrapper\"><button class=\"rich-share__button row\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"screen-reader-text\">Click here to share on social media<\/div>\n<p><title>share-nodes<\/title><\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"rich-share__social-text\">Share<\/p>\n<div class=\"rich-share__links rich-share__links--row\" data-testid=\"share-links\">\n<div class=\"rich-share__social rich-share__social--row\"><a class=\"rich-share__social-link row\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-label=\"Share on Facebook\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Faje.news%2Fdm4u5s\"><title>facebook<\/title><\/a><a class=\"rich-share__social-link row\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-label=\"Share on Twitter\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=Malaysia%20vows%20not%20to%20return%20Rohingya%20refugees%20to%20Myanmar%20if%20lives%20at%20risk&amp;source=sharethiscom&amp;related=sharethis&amp;via=AJEnglish&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Faje.news%2Fdm4u5s\"><title>x<\/title><\/a><a class=\"rich-share__social-link row u-hidden--desktop\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-label=\"Share on Whatsapp\" href=\"\/\/send?text=https%3A%2F%2Faje.news%2Fdm4u5s\"><title>whatsapp-stroke<\/title><\/a><a class=\"rich-share__social-link row copylink\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-label=\"Copy link\" href=\"https:\/\/aje.news\/dm4u5s\"><title>copylink<\/title><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"google-preferred-source\"><button class=\"google-preferred-source__button\" aria-label=\"Add Al Jazeera on Google\" data-testid=\"google-preferred-source-button\"><title>google<\/title><span class=\"google-preferred-source__text\">Add Al Jazeera on Google<\/span><\/button><button aria-label=\"See more of Al Jazeera\u2019s trusted journalism by adding us as a preferred source on Google.\" class=\"tooltip-accessible_trigger\"><title>info<\/title><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-featured__media\">\n<figure class=\"article-featured-image\">\n<div class=\"responsive-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/2026-07-27T134109Z_298927633_RC2BMMA49X38_RTRMADP_3_MALAYSIA-REFUGEE-1785949734.jpg?resize=770%2C513&amp;quality=80\" alt=\"Rohingya refugees gather in front of the office of the U.N. refugee agency after being evicted from their homes\"><\/div><figcaption>Rohingya refugees gather in front of the office of the United Nations&#8217; refugee agency after being evicted from their homes, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on July 27, 2026 [Hasnoor Hussain\/Reuters]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-info m--t-20 m--desktop-b-30 m--b-mobile-20\">\n<div class=\"byline byline--no-avatars\">\n<div class=\"byline-content\">\n<div class=\"contributors-list contributors-list--byline\"><span class=\"contributors-list__by-prefix\">By <\/span><a href=\"\/author\/jawadt\">Tracy Jawad<\/a> and <!-- -->AFP<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-dates\">\n<div class=\"date-simple\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Published On 5 Aug 2026<\/span><span aria-hidden=\"true\">5 Aug 2026<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wysiwyg wysiwyg--all-content\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<section class=\"more-on\">\n<h2 class=\"more-on__heading\">Recommended Stories<!-- --> <\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list of 3 items<\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"more-on__list\">\n<li class=\"more-on__article\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list 1 of 3<\/span><a class=\"more-on__link\" href=\"\/news\/2026\/6\/23\/more-than-5300-people-still-held-in-myanmar-scam-centres-rights-group\">More than 5,300 people still held in Myanmar scam centres: rights group<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"more-on__article\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list 2 of 3<\/span><a class=\"more-on__link\" href=\"\/news\/2026\/7\/24\/us-summons-malaysia-envoy-over-israel-policy\">US summons Malaysia envoy over Israel policy<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"more-on__article\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list 3 of 3<\/span><a class=\"more-on__link\" href=\"\/news\/2026\/7\/28\/malaysian-foreign-minister-calls-for-review-of-unhcrs-presence\">Malaysian foreign minister calls for review of UNHCR\u2019s presence<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p>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\u2019s largest refugee community.<\/p>\n<p>Although it hosts one of Southeast Asia\u2019s biggest refugee populations, Malaysia is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and does not formally recognise refugee status.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Many Rohingya fled Myanmar during the military\u2019s 2017 crackdown, which forced thousands to seek refuge abroad.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Rights groups say Rohingya refugees in Malaysia have faced growing online hate campaigns and disinformation, fuelling xenophobia and intimidation.<\/p>\n<p>Wednesday\u2019s 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\u2019s office in Kuala Lumpur to seek assistance.<\/p>\n<p>They were later released after officials confirmed they held valid UN documentation.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"responsible-country\">\u2018Responsible country\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>Fadzil said Malaysia would only proceed with the plan after assessing whether the refugees would face persecution or threats to their lives if returned.<\/p>\n<div class=\"container--ads in-article-ads\">\n<div class=\"ads\"><span class=\"ads__title\"> Advertisement <\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cMalaysia, as a responsible country, will not return the 5,000 Myanmar refugees if they would either be persecuted or their lives would be threatened,\u201d he told a news briefing.<\/p>\n<p>He added that Myanmar\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n<div style=\"display:block;position:relative;min-width:0px;max-width:770px\">\n<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"rights-group-oppose-plan\">Rights group oppose plan<\/h2>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe 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\u2019s brutality,\u201d Bryony Lau, the organisation\u2019s deputy director for Asia, said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>Malaysia\u2019s main Rohingya rights group also urged the government to halt the plan, saying refugees\u2019 lives would be at risk if they were returned.<\/p>\n<p>Myanmar\u2019s military authorities have not publicly commented on the proposal.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ListenListen (3 mins) Save Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share facebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylink googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Rohingya refugees gather in front of the office of the United Nations&#8217; refugee agency after being evicted from their homes, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on July 27, 2026 [Hasnoor Hussain\/Reuters] By Tracy Jawad and AFP Published [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2097","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Malaysia vows not to return Rohingya refugees to Myanmar if lives at risk - Asia Newscast<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=2097\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Malaysia vows not to return Rohingya refugees to Myanmar if lives at risk - Asia Newscast\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"ListenListen (3 mins) Save Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share facebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylink googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Rohingya refugees gather in front of the office of the United Nations&#8217; 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