Malaysia Deports 5,000 Myanmar Asylum Seekers Under Controversial Military Deal

Malaysia has begun sending around 5,000 asylum seekers back to Myanmar as part of an agreement struck with the country's military junta chief, Min Aung Hlaing, in a move that has drawn sharp criticism from human rights organisations and raised serious concerns about the safety of those being returned.

Three vessels belonging to the Myanmar navy were expected to depart Malaysia later on the day of the announcement, carrying the first group of 1,476 returnees. The operation marks the opening phase of a wider repatriation programme that Malaysian authorities say will eventually cover approximately 5,000 individuals held in detention facilities across the country.

Rights groups have strongly condemned the plan, warning that those sent back face the prospect of violence, persecution and forced recruitment into Myanmar's armed forces. The country has been engulfed in civil conflict since the military seized power in a 2021 coup, and conditions in many regions remain extremely dangerous for returning civilians.

Malaysia has characterised the repatriation as voluntary, but has prevented the United Nations refugee agency from accessing or screening the returnees, who have been held in detention centres. The lack of independent oversight has fuelled scepticism about whether those being deported have genuinely consented to return.

According to Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the group includes Rohingyas, a persecuted Muslim minority who have fled Myanmar in large numbers over the years and who are not recognised as citizens there. Many Rohingya have sought sanctuary in Malaysia after being driven from their homes in Rakhine State.

Anwar, whose popularity has suffered a steep decline over the past year, has said he is responding to growing public hostility toward the substantial Rohingya population in Malaysia and that he has no alternative but to negotiate their return with the Myanmar government. He has described the refugees as a burden on the country.

The decision represents a striking shift in Malaysia's posture. Anwar, himself a former political prisoner, has long cultivated an image as a defender of human rights and freedom, and had previously urged greater international efforts to assist the Rohingya. Under his leadership, Malaysia declined to recognise Min Aung Hlaing's regime and became one of South East Asia's most vocal advocates for a negotiated settlement to Myanmar's civil war.

Two principal factors appear to explain the change in approach. The first is increasing economic pressure on lower-income Malaysians since the Covid-19 pandemic, which has bred resentment toward the Rohingya community. The second is the volatile nature of Malaysian politics since 2018, when a landmark election ended the long dominance of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the ethnic Malay party that had controlled power for more than six decades. The result has been a succession of unstable coalition governments.

For years, Malaysians showed considerable sympathy for their fellow Muslims in Myanmar. In August 2017, a brutal military campaign forced three-quarters of a million Rohingyas out of Rakhine State and into neighbouring Bangladesh. In the years that followed, dire conditions in Bangladeshi camps pushed those with sufficient resources to attempt the dangerous sea voyage to Malaysia in search of safety and work.

Although the Malaysian navy and coastguard have long attempted to prevent Rohingya boats from landing, many still entered through other routes and were tolerated for an extended period. More than 200,000 are now believed to reside in Malaysia, most surviving on basic incomes from manual labour.

Public sentiment began to turn during the pandemic, which dealt a heavy blow to the national economy. Amid heightened fears about the virus, accusations against Rohingya migrants circulated widely on social media, accompanied by calls for their deportation. The government of the day responded by hardening its position, declaring that Malaysia could accept no further refugees and ordering raids on communities suspected of sheltering undocumented immigrants.

A similar dynamic has played out in 2026. In May, an online complaint alleged that Rohingyas had failed to properly dispose of animal waste following the Muslim festival of Eid al Adha. The claim sparked a viral social media campaign that falsely accused Rohingya leaders of demanding land and citizenship in Malaysia. An online petition on Change.org calling for Rohingyas to be expelled gathered more than 400,000 signatures before it was removed.

Anwar has said the Rohingyas should be treated humanely, stating in a recent podcast interview that authorities may arrest them but should not beat, intimidate or humiliate them. Human rights groups, however, allege that Malaysian officials have done precisely that in immigration detention centres. Despite his calls for humane treatment, Anwar maintains that the Rohingya must be expelled, describing them as a security burden, an economic burden and a source of hostility among the population.

Some of his former supporters have accused him of betraying his principles. Latheefa Koya, former head of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, described his decision as disgraceful, amoral and a source of national shame in the eyes of the international community.

Anwar is nonetheless operating under intense political pressure. Once regarded as a perpetual prime minister-in-waiting, he finally assumed the top office in 2022, but only by assembling an uneasy coalition with his former adversaries in UMNO. Since then, his popularity has fallen sharply and his party has lost seats in recent local elections. He must call a general election by early 2028.

Tricia Yeoh, Director of the Asian Institute for Policy and Engagement at the University of Nottingham Malaysia, said the prime minister is in a corner and at his weakest point. She noted that he has been forced to make concessions to his UMNO partners, has faced several corruption scandals, and presides over a divided party. The repatriation deal, she suggested, reflects a leader under mounting strain rather than a considered policy choice.