Malaysia began returning about 1,500 Myanmar nationals on Tuesday under the first phase of a repatriation programme that could eventually involve as many as 5,000 people, despite objections from the United Nations and rights organisations over conditions in Myanmar.
Malaysian authorities say the programme is voluntary, while the UN refugee agency says conflict and violence mean conditions for safe and sustainable refugee returns do not exist.
Dozens of buses accompanied by security vehicles arrived at a stadium near the Lumut naval base in Malaysia’s Perak state before moving toward the port, where two Myanmar naval vessels and a hospital ship had docked.
Malaysia’s Home Ministry previously said 1,476 Myanmar nationals identified by Myanmar’s government would be involved in the operation.
It remained unclear whether Rohingya refugees were among those being returned on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said in July that Myanmar had agreed to accept as many as 5,000 Rohingya refugees from Malaysia.
UNHCR said it was not involved in identifying those being returned and maintained that current conditions in Myanmar do not support safe and sustainable returns.
Malaysia hosts around 193,000 refugees from Myanmar, about two-thirds of them Rohingya, according to UNHCR data cited by Reuters.
Rights groups and refugee representatives have questioned whether people in detention can freely choose to return while Myanmar remains engulfed in conflict.
More than 160 civil society organisations have called for the programme to stop, citing continuing violence and risks including forced recruitment into armed groups.
Myanmar has faced widespread fighting since the 2021 military coup, including conflict between the military and armed groups such as the Arakan Army.
Myanmar’s government has said it is working to facilitate voluntary returns of verified displaced people in a safe and dignified manner.
Malaysia has also said it would not return people facing persecution or threats to their lives.