Malaysia gave refuge to Rohingya; now it wants them to go
Summary
Malaysia has allowed around 125,000 Rohingya refugees to live within its borders but does not grant them formal refugee status or access to education, healthcare, or legal work. Recently, Malaysia began sending nearly 1,500 Rohingya back to Myanmar, despite ongoing violence and international criticism over the safety of returnees.Key Facts
- About 125,000 Rohingya refugees live in Malaysia, mostly without access to formal education, healthcare, or legal work.
- Rohingya children attend informal learning centers supported by NGOs and donors.
- Malaysia started repatriating around 1,500 Rohingya to Myanmar in September 2026.
- The Rohingya are a Muslim minority in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, not recognized as citizens and widely persecuted.
- Myanmar’s military crackdown on the Rohingya in 2017 forced over 700,000 to flee, mainly to Bangladesh.
- The crackdown is internationally viewed as genocide, with a case at the International Court of Justice expected to have a verdict soon.
- Critics argue it is unsafe for Rohingya to return due to ongoing civil war in Myanmar after the military coup in 2021.
- Malaysia is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and does not officially recognize the Rohingya as refugees but has historically allowed their presence.
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