10,000 Myanmar Detainees Repatriated Since January 2026 – Anwar

KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 10,000 Myanmar detainees have been repatriated to their home country by air and sea since January this year, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said.

He said the repatriations were carried out following direct negotiations and efforts between the Malaysian government and Myanmar authorities.

The Prime Minister said the repatriated Myanmar nationals were not limited to ethnic Rohingya but also included those from the Arakan, Karen and Shan ethnic groups.

“Of the total, some were flown home through an initiative by the Myanmar government itself, while the remaining approximately 1,400 people were recently repatriated aboard the country’s naval vessels,” he said.

Anwar said this during the Minister’s Question Time session in the Dewan Rakyat today in response to a question from Suhaizan Kaiat (PH-Pulai) on the government’s next steps in addressing the presence of Myanmar nationals in Malaysia, including refugees and asylum seekers, particularly the Rohingya.

He stressed that Malaysia was the first country to successfully repatriate Myanmar detainees to their home country through effective negotiations and diplomatic efforts.

“As far as I understand, Malaysia is the first country to have successfully repatriated Myanmar nationals to their home country,” he said.

The Prime Minister also explained that the repatriation process was carried out voluntarily with the consent of the individuals involved through official documentation from the Home Ministry (KDN) to safeguard their safety and human rights.

Responding to a supplementary question from Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin (PN-Larut) on the role of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the issuance of refugee cards in Malaysia, Anwar said the organisation’s involvement was a legacy issue formally introduced by a previous government.

He said any effort to amend the existing regulations would require consultations with the United Nations (UN) to ensure that Malaysia’s actions continued to comply with and did not disregard international standards and regulations.

However, the Prime Minister stressed that the government would not allow the repatriation of Myanmar detainees or the country’s administration to be dictated by other parties or foreign officials.

“Our country’s affairs must be managed by our own machinery and should not be dictated by foreign officials determining who is eligible or ineligible,” he said.

Responding to a supplementary question from Datuk Mohd Isam Mohd Isa (BN-Tampin) on illegal businesses operated by foreigners, Anwar said enforcement agencies would tighten controls and would not hesitate to revoke the business licences of Malaysians found to have rented them out to foreigners.

On July 29, the Prime Minister said Myanmar had agreed to take back about 5,000 Myanmar detainees currently in Malaysia following negotiations and good relations between the two countries.

Following the agreement, the first phase of the repatriation programme was carried out on Sept 29, involving 1,476 Myanmar detainees transported aboard three vessels, including a hospital ship belonging to the Myanmar Navy.

Bernama