Published : 04 Sep 2026, 05:36 PM
Updated : 16 Sep 2026, 11:47 AM
Malaysia is preparing to send nearly 1,500 people back to Myanmar later this month, even as the UN refugee agency says continuing conflict means conditions are not in place for safe and sustainable refugee returns.
The operation comes as Bangladesh continues to host about 1.2 million Rohingya, with repeated attempts to begin their repatriation to Myanmar yet to produce a large-scale return.
But the Malaysian and Bangladeshi situations differ considerably — beginning with who is being sent back and the number of people involved.
What is Malaysia Planning?
Malaysia’s home ministry has finalised the first phase of what it describes as a voluntary repatriation programme involving Myanmar nationals held in immigration detention.
The first 1,476 people are due to return at the end of September.
Malaysia says two Myanmar Navy warships and a hospital ship will be involved in transporting them.
Government spokesman Fahmi Fadzil said on Sept 2 that all 1,476 had signed documents stating that they had agreed to return voluntarily.
Malaysia had screened 5,000 names from more than 10,000 Myanmar nationals held at immigration detention depots and submitted them to the Myanmar Embassy, according to Bernama.
Myanmar subsequently agreed to receive 1,476 of them.
Fahmi also said Malaysia had received assurances from Myanmar that those returning would be safe.
Are the 1,476 Rohingya?
That remains unclear.
When Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced the arrangement in July, he said Myanmar had agreed to take back 5,000 Rohingya from Malaysia, Reuters reported.
But subsequent Malaysian government statements about the first group have described the 1,476 simply as “Myanmar nationals”.
The Malaysian authorities have not publicly provided an ethnic breakdown showing how many of those due to return are Rohingya.
That distinction is important when comparing the operation with Bangladesh, where the repatriation process concerns Rohingya refugees from Myanmar’s Rakhine State.
What Does UNHCR Say?
The UN refugee agency says it is not involved in Malaysia’s planned operation.
UNHCR told Reuters on Sept 1 that ongoing armed conflict and violence across Myanmar meant conditions were not in place for the safe, dignified and sustainable voluntary return of refugees.
It said no one should be sent to a country where their rights or freedoms could be at risk, citing the principle of non-refoulement under customary international law.
UNHCR also said any refugee return must be voluntary, based on an informed decision and take place in conditions of safety and dignity.
The agency said it was ready to work with the authorities on protection safeguards.
Malaysia maintains that its programme is voluntary.
How Does This Compare with Bangladesh?
The most obvious difference is scale.
Bangladesh hosts about 1.2 million Rohingya, most of them living in camps in Cox’s Bazar, along with a smaller population on Bhasan Char.
Malaysia’s immediate operation involves 1,476 Myanmar nationals, while the wider group it submitted for consideration contained 5,000 names.
Bangladesh and Myanmar have also spent years verifying Rohingya for possible repatriation.
Myanmar’s foreign ministry said in August that Bangladesh had submitted the names of 828,824 people for verification.
By Jul 31, Myanmar said it had verified 426,545 of them, with 308,797 identified as former residents of Rakhine State.
Myanmar added that it would continue working with Bangladesh to receive verified former residents once the security situation in Rakhine became more stable.
Has Bangladesh Tried to Repatriate Rohingya Before?
Yes.
Bangladesh and Myanmar have made repeated attempts to begin repatriation since more than 700,000 Rohingya fled a military crackdown in Rakhine State in 2017.
Plans to start returns in 2018 and again in 2019 failed to get under way after Rohingya selected for repatriation declined to go back, raising concerns over security, citizenship and their rights in Myanmar.
Subsequent efforts, including fresh verification exercises and attempts to revive a pilot repatriation process, have also failed to produce a large-scale return.
The latest Myanmar verification figures show that establishing whether people previously lived in Rakhine remains only one part of the process.
Myanmar itself now says verified former residents from Bangladesh will be received once the security situation in Rakhine becomes more stable.
What Does Myanmar Say About Taking People Back?
Myanmar says it remains willing to receive people it identifies as verified former residents of Rakhine State.
Its foreign ministry said in August that it would continue cooperating with Bangladesh to receive them once the security situation in Rakhine became more stable.
Myanmar does not, however, recognise the Rohingya as one of the country’s official ethnic minorities.
Its authorities have generally rejected the term “Rohingya”, while the refugees themselves and the UN use it to identify the community.
Questions surrounding identity, citizenship and rights have long formed part of the dispute over Rohingya repatriation.
What are Conditions Like in Myanmar Now?
Myanmar remains gripped by armed conflict that intensified after the military seized power in 2021.
In Rakhine, fighting between the military and the Arakan Army has changed control over large parts of the state and caused further displacement.
A UN human rights report in August documented abuses against Rohingya and other civilians, including killings, forced recruitment and displacement.
UNHCR says continuing conflict and violence mean the conditions required for safe, dignified and sustainable refugee returns are not currently in place.
Myanmar’s own latest statement on repatriation from Bangladesh also says verified former residents will be received when security in Rakhine becomes more stable.
What are the Main Differences with Bangladesh?
Malaysia’s first operation involves 1,476 Myanmar nationals selected from immigration detention facilities.
It remains unclear how many of them are Rohingya.
Bangladesh, by contrast, hosts around 1.2 million Rohingya, and Myanmar says it has identified 308,797 people on Bangladesh’s lists as former residents of Rakhine State.
Malaysia says everyone in its first group has signed documents agreeing to return voluntarily and that Myanmar has provided assurances about their safety.
In Bangladesh, earlier repatriation efforts failed to get under way when Rohingya selected for return declined to go back.
UNHCR is not involved in Malaysia’s planned operation and says current conditions in Myanmar do not allow safe, dignified and sustainable refugee returns.
