Kuala Lumpur is take-up measures to handle undocumented migration and has repatriated almost 10,000 Myanmar nationals since January, reports the state news agency in Yangon, while Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim urges the movement of more back to their home countries.
According to Global New Light of Myanmar, 8,041 Myanmar people were repatriated by air from January until August. Another 1,476 passengers disembarked from ships during the weekend in Yangon to reach a total of officially 9,943 people.
The first big round up in the maritime transfer was under a bilateral agreement for approximately 5,000 returnees. The latest group came on board on a maritime flotilla at a location outside Yangon, which is one of the biggest expansions of repatriation by Malaysia.
Under Prime Minister Anwar, there are concerns about the count of Myanmar refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia. According to the figures in the most recent reporting the country has an estimated population of 193,000 UNHCR-registered refugees and persons of concern from Myanmar.
Malaysian officials argue that the returnees were serving sentences for immigration-related crimes and that they willingly returned. Malaysia is not signatory to the Convention on the Status of Refugees of 1951 and it is possible for persons in Malaysia who are not documented immigrants to be the subject of immigration enforcement and detention.
The repatriations have, however, caused concern among the United Nations and Human Rights groups. People who return to Myanmar are at risk of violence, persecution and other harm if the country is affected by conflicts, according to critics.
Ethnic minorities are especially sensitive, including Rohingya, who continue to remain in a precarious situation which is a key international concern. Human rights monitors have raised concerns with the transparency of the process and putting in place mechanisms to prevent forced or coerced returns.
The latest development in the migration episode is a testament to the mounting strain on Southeast Asian governments to satisfy migration needs with the challenges posed by domestic security and humanitarian needs tied to Myanmar’s ongoing crisis.
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