Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontières (MSF) calls on Malaysia to halt returns of “Myanmar refugees” under its “repatriation” plan announced for 29 September 2026. There is an urgent need for transparency and clarity around the 1476 refugees who are at risk of being forcibly returned to violent and dangerous conditions from which they fled.
While not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, Malaysia remains bound by customary international law’s principle of non-refoulement – the requirement to not forcefully return anyone to a country where they would face persecution.
On 5 August 2026, Malaysia said[1] that it would not proceed with returns “if they [refugees] would either be persecuted or their lives would be threatened.” However, more recent announcements from the Malaysian government indicate this may no longer be the case, which raises grave human rights concerns.
MSF calls on Malaysia to:
. Ensure the non-return of any Myanmar refugees – civilians in Myanmar continue to face extreme violence, including relentless aerial bombardment, mass killings, imprisonment, forced recruitment, and deprivation of essential supplies such as food and medicines.
. Disclose the nationality, age, and protection risks of those identified for return. Refugees and asylum-seekers who face persecution or other serious harm must not be returned
. Ensure that the protection needs of those subject to return are thoroughly assessed in accordance with international standards.
According to UNOCHA, in 2025, Myanmar ranked second globally for conflict intensity and fourth most dangerous for civilians, with over half the population exposed to violence. Myanmar continues to face a severe humanitarian crisis driven by intensifying armed conflict, natural disasters, and economic instability.
MSF has worked in Myanmar since 1992, and remains present in Rakhine, Kachin, northern Shan, and Yangon delivering healthcare services together with water, sanitation and hygiene programming. Our teams directly witness how healthcare, food supplies, education, and livelihoods for communities across many parts of Myanmar continue to be severely disrupted by conflict and insecurity.
Refugees should not be returned to places they’ve fled and where their lives are at risk.
Refugees, such as the Rohingyas and other persecuted minorities have endured, and continue to survive, decades of oppression, violence, constrained living and life in limbo while they await resettlement from Malaysia – if it ever comes. Refugees do not leave their home by choice – they are fleeing persecution and should not be treated as criminal or convenient targets for political gain.
MSF calls on Malaysia to halt all returns of refugees to the dangerous and violent conditions they fled and to ensure that any such process is wholly transparent and in accordance with international standards.
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