MANJUNG — Malaysia began repatriating Myanmar nationals on September 29, 2026. The first group of returnees consisted of 1,476 people.

The returnees comprised 1,370 men, 79 women, 20 boys, and seven girls aged between eight and 60. Buses carrying the group arrived at a stadium in Manjung, Perak state, under tight security. Journalists were barred from the grounds of the stadium in Manjung.

Ships from the Myanmar navy were docked at the Lumut naval base. The returnees were transported on two Myanmar navy warships and a hospital ship.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim defended the repatriation as a diplomatic effort. He said he plans to invite Myanmar leader Min Aung Hlaing to Malaysia to discuss the refugee issue. "I am inviting him to say that we can be friends and trade, we can accept Myanmar, but Myanmar must accept them back," Anwar Ibrahim said.

"To me, that’s better diplomacy than just shouting angrily at Myanmar." Anwar Ibrahim stated in a podcast interview, "We can arrest them, but do not beat, intimidate or humiliate them." Malaysian Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the country would not return people if they faced persecution or threats to their lives. He said: "They have clearly become a burden. A security burden, an economic burden and a source of hostility among the people."

Nay San Lwin, cochair of the Arakan Rohingya National Council, stated, "Sending Rohingya back to this is not repatriation. It is sending people back to a killing field." Amnesty International and Asylum Access urged the Malaysian government to halt repatriations. Doctors Without Borders urged Malaysia to halt the returns and disclose who was being sent back. More than 160 civil society organisations called for the repatriation to stop.

Myanmar Foreign Ministry official Han Win Aung stated the repatriation involves genuine citizens and not Rohingya. Myanmar does not recognize the Rohingya as an ethnic group or citizens. Approximately 126,000 Rohingya refugees reside in Malaysia.

There are approximately 215,600 refugees and asylum seekers registered with the UNHCR in Malaysia. Malaysia is not a party to the U.N. Refugee Convention. Malaysia treats refugees as undocumented migrants.

Why It Matters

The repatriation marks the start of a planned campaign to remove 5,000 individuals, a portion of the 10,388 Myanmar nationals held in detention as of mid-August 2026. The operation occurs against a backdrop of domestic pressure, including an online petition calling for Rohingyas to be removed from Malaysia that received more than 400,000 signatures before being taken down. In July 2026, authorities detained more than 100 people who gathered outside the UNHCR office in Kuala Lumpur.

The event shows the tension between Malaysia's non-signatory status to the international refugee framework and international warnings regarding safety in Myanmar. While the government frames the action as a necessary diplomatic and security measure, rights organizations state it exposes returnees to systemic persecution and fails to address the root causes of the crisis. The scale of the operation affects a population where approximately 126,000 Rohingya already reside without formal citizenship recognition in their home country.

What the UN Said

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees warned that conditions in Myanmar remain unsafe for the return of refugees and expressed concern over forced repatriation efforts.

Timeline

As of August 15, 2026, 10,388 Myanmar nationals were held in immigration detention depots in Malaysia. On September 16, 2026, he stated, "To me, that’s better diplomacy than just shouting angrily at Myanmar." Also on September 16, 2026, he said, "I am inviting him to say that we can be friends and trade, we can accept Myanmar, but Myanmar must accept them back."

On that same day, buses carrying returnees arrived at a stadium in Manjung, Perak state, under tight security.

What's New

Additional reporting indicates that the Myanmar Foreign Ministry has previously coordinated the repatriation of 1,086 Myanmar nationals from Malaysia in 2021, citing humanitarian grounds for those unable to afford return after serving sentences in immigration detention camps. This previous effort, which saw the Myanmar Foreign Ministry repatriate 1,086 Myanmar nationals from Malaysia in 2021 under a humanitarian program, indicates a pattern of coordinated repatriation efforts between the two countries. The official record states that the first phase of the repatriation involves 1,476 Myanmar nationals who have been identified by the Myanmar government.

Critics offered sharp assessments of the decision. Tricia Yeoh, Director of the Asian Institute for Policy and Engagement at the University of Nottingham Malaysia, stated Anwar is "in a corner, at his weakest point". Ro Mayyu Islam, founding Chair of the Center of Rohingya Crisis Studies, stated, "Moving Rohingya from Malaysian detention centres to Myanmar does not solve the Rohingya crisis." Latheefa Koya, former head of the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission, described Anwar's decision as "disgraceful, amoral, and shames the nation in the eyes of the international community". He stated in a podcast interview, "We can arrest them, but do not beat, intimidate or humiliate them."

How Sources Differ

Sources differ on the scope and nature of the repatriation figures. The Myanmar Foreign Ministry has previously coordinated the repatriation of Myanmar nationals from Malaysia in 2021 and 2022, citing humanitarian grounds for those unable to afford return after serving sentences in immigration detention camps. In contrast, the Malaysia Home Ministry statement says Malaysia plans to repatriate 5,000 Myanmar nationals in stages. Regarding the current detainee population, the Malaysia Home Ministry statement says Malaysia plans to repatriate 5,000 Myanmar nationals in stages, while Malaysia Home Ministry data shows that as of August 15, 2026, 10,388 Myanmar nationals were held in immigration detention depots in Malaysia.