Malaysia tells its Parliament about 10,000 Myanmar nationals have been sent home since January

6 October 2026

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim told Parliament on Tuesday that about 10,000 people had been sent back to Myanmar since January, some on flights arranged by Myanmar's government and nearly 1,500 by sea in the previous week.
He said Myanmar authorities had given assurances that returnees would not be harmed, and that Myanmar must treat its people fairly, with no abuses, coercion or rights violations.
The United Nations refugee agency said its staff were not allowed to meet the Myanmar nationals, so it could not confirm that their decisions to return were genuinely free and informed.
Human Rights Watch, in a statement issued the same day, asked Malaysia to grant the agency full and unimpeded access to all immigration detention centres.
More than 50,000 refugees were detained in Malaysia during 2026 as immigration raids widened.
Anwar said he would continue to discuss the matter with Myanmar's president, who was due in Kuala Lumpur within days.