Myanmar to accept 5,000 Rohingya refugees from Malaysia
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that Myanmar has agreed to take back 5,000 Rohingya asylum seekers currently in Malaysia. The statement was made at a campaign rally in Negeri Sembilan ahead of state elections. Malaysia hosts roughly 126,000 Rohingya registered with the UNHCR, the world’s largest stateless population, many of whom have faced recent tension with local communities.
Earlier in the week more than 100 Rohingya gathered outside the UNHCR office in Kuala Lumpur after claiming eviction in Penang. Police detained them, reviewed their UNHCR documents and later released 109 detainees, relocating them to various sites in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Penang. Malaysia, which is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, treats asylum seekers as illegal migrants. Both Myanmar’s presidential office and the UNHCR in Kuala Lumpur did not immediately comment on the repatriation deal, though the UN refugee agency said it remains committed to working with Malaysia on refugee management.
Entities: Anwar Ibrahim · Fadil Marsus · Government of Myanmar · Malaysia · Myanmar · Rohingya refugees · UNHCR · United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 6 SOURCES] Myanmar’s presidential office did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the agreement. (Noted in Reuters reports.)
- [● 6 SOURCES] Around 126,000 Rohingya are registered with UNHCR in Malaysia as of the end of February. (UNHCR figures cited in multiple reports.)
- [● 6 SOURCES] UNHCR in Kuala Lumpur did not comment on the repatriation deal. (Noted in multiple Reuters articles.)
- [● 6 SOURCES] Myanmar agreed to take 5,000 Rohingya asylum seekers from Malaysia. (Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced the agreement.)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] 109 detained Rohingya refugees were later released and relocated to designated sites. (Reported by Voice of Nigeria citing Malaysian police.)
- [● 6 SOURCES] More than 100 Rohingya refugees were detained outside the UNHCR office in Kuala Lumpur earlier this week. (Reported by Malaysian authorities and Reuters.)
- [● 6 SOURCES] Malaysia is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and classifies asylum seekers as illegal migrants. (Background information included in multiple reports.)
- [● 6 SOURCES] Anwar Ibrahim made the announcement at a campaign rally in Negeri Sembilan. (Stated by the prime minister during a rally ahead of regional elections.)