Myanmar Migrants Return Home from Malaysia Amid Opaque Repatriation Scheme
Over 1,500 Myanmar migrants arrive in Thanlyin after repatriation from Malaysia, raising concerns over safety and human rights.
POLICY WIRE — Thanlyin, Myanmar — Nearly 1,500 Myanmar migrants arrived back in their war-torn homeland on Sunday, returning from Malaysia under a controversial repatriation program. Three vessels carrying the group reached the Myanmar Navy base in Thanlyin just before 7:30 a.m., according to an unnamed naval official.
Families gathered at dawn to welcome their loved ones, with vehicles lined up outside the base ready to transport them. Kyaw Myint, 55, traveled to collect his three grandchildren, who had been detained in Malaysia for 18 months and not seen by him in six years. He expressed fears that they could be conscripted by either the military or ethnic armed groups upon their return.
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Concerns persist about the presence of Rohingya individuals among the returned migrants, though this has not been officially confirmed. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced the repatriations amid rising anti-Rohingya sentiment, but the United Nations warns that conditions in Myanmar make safe returns impossible under international law. A 25-year-old woman, speaking from Malaysia, said she feared her brother would face danger upon arrival in Myanmar.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
