Malaysia Screens 5,000 Myanmar Nationals for Repatriation

The Home Ministry of Malaysia has initiated the identification and screening of 5,000 Myanmar nationals for repatriation. Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail announced that approximately 4,000 individuals currently held across 19 immigration depots will be consolidated into a single facility to streamline security checks and documentation. The process involves screening by the police and the Immigration Department under National Security Council Directive No. 23.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim confirmed the agreement on July 29, characterizing the repatriated individuals as Rohingya refugees. However, the Government of Myanmar rejected this terminology. Han Win Aung, director-general of the ASEAN department at Myanmar’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, clarified that the program targets only verified Myanmar nationals and is not intended for the return of Bengalis, the term Myanmar uses for the Rohingya.

While the Home Ministry leads the screening, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia will coordinate final discussions with Myanmar. Discrepancies have emerged regarding the scope of the return; while Saifuddin claimed Myanmar committed to accepting citizens from Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, a refugee commissioner in that region denied any knowledge of such arrangements.