Malaysia plans to return 5,000 Myanmar detainees to junta

By Admin 24 Jul 2026

DMG Newsroom

24 July 2026, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Malaysia is planning to hand over nearly 5,000 Myanmar nationals currently held in immigration detention centres for illegal entry and stay to the military junta, according to Malaysian media reports.

Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang made the announcement during a Senate session on July 23, as reported by Malaysia-based media outlets including Free Malaysia Today.

He said the military regime is prepared to accept the detainees and that navy vessels will be sent to collect them once bilateral negotiations are finalized.

"Some will be blacklisted to prevent them from re-entering, while others may be able to return legally with valid passports once they arrive back in Myanmar," an Arakanese migrant worker rights advocate based in Malaysia said.

Myanmar nationals have continued fleeing overseas, including to Malaysia, due to economic hardship, military conflict, and political instability. The prospect of mass deportation has raised serious concerns among migrant communities.

The concerns have intensified after the Malaysian government on July 23 instructed the suspension of registration and card issuance processes by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for newly arrived refugees.

The combination of possible mass deportations and the suspension of refugee card issuance has increased fear and anxiety among Myanmar refugees and migrant workers in Malaysia.

"Those facing deportation now likely include individuals whose refugee applications are still pending. People leave their home country and come here to work only because they are in desperate circumstances. This situation is truly disheartening," a Kachin aid worker assisting Myanmar nationals in Malaysia said.

Reports have also emerged that some Myanmar nationals previously deported from Thailand and Malaysia over immigration violations were forcibly recruited into the military after returning home.

"Handing people back to Myanmar is deliberately sending them back into hell," another Arakanese refugee advocate in Malaysia said. "Because of the conscription law, their lives are in immediate danger, and they face horrific violence at the hands of the junta. We urge the Malaysian government to protect refugees in line with international standards."

According to Malaysia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the government handed over around 5,000 Myanmar nationals to the junta between the 2021 military coup and the third week of June 2026.

The Malaysian government has faced criticism from international bodies and human rights organizations over the transfer of Myanmar nationals back to a junta accused of widespread conflict, instability, and violence against civilians.

Although Malaysia is not a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention, it has historically allowed UNHCR to register refugees and issue identification cards on humanitarian grounds.

However, citing concerns over undocumented migration and national security, Malaysian authorities have tightened policies, moving to suspend UNHCR registration activities and increase deportations of undocumented migrants.