UNHCR voices concern as Malaysia returns 1,476 people to Myanmar, among them Rohingya held in immigration detention
30 September 2026
The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, voiced concern over Malaysia's decision to return 1,476 people to Myanmar, which is in a civil war.
Deportation of Rohingya refugees began on Tuesday, 29 September 2026, according to reports.
Malaysian authorities said the process was voluntary, but UNHCR's Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, Edem Wosornu, noted that those returned had been held in immigration detention. She said this raises serious questions about whether the decisions were genuinely free and informed, and that UNHCR had no access to the individuals.
UNHCR recognised Malaysia's sovereign responsibility to manage asylum and migration and urged robust safeguards, such as individual assessments and access to protection procedures.
It said no one should be returned to a country where they may face persecution, torture or other serious threats to their life and freedom.
In plain words
UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees — The UN agency that protects refugees and supports their rights.
Rohingya A mainly Muslim minority from Myanmar — Forced to flee Rakhine state in large numbers in 2017; over a million now live in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.