Arakan Journal

By Arakan Journal Staff – October 3, 2026

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Rohingya refugees in Malaysia are increasingly fearful of detention and deportation following the government’s decision to begin returning Myanmar nationals, with refugee leaders saying immigration raids have intensified across the country.

Malaysia on Tuesday deported 1,500 Myanmar nationals as part of a plan to return at least 5,000 people to Myanmar.

The move has raised concerns among tens of thousands of other Myanmar refugees in Malaysia, including more than 126,000 Rohingya, according to UNHCR figures cited by Al Jazeera.

Refugee community leaders told Al Jazeera that many refugees are now asking whether they could be among those sent back next.

Raf, a Myanmar refugee community leader who spoke to Al Jazeera using a pseudonym, said he has been receiving more than 100 calls a day from distressed refugees.

“They are crying, asking me to do something,” Raf said.

Refugee advocates say immigration raids have increased sharply since June, when Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced a repatriation arrangement with Myanmar.

Heidy Quah, founder and executive director of the Malaysian nonprofit Refuge for the Refugees,’ said raids were now taking place every day, according to Al Jazeera.

Malaysia’s Home Affairs Ministry said it had conducted more than 9,700 operations between January and September 17, an average of about 37 operations a day.

More than 10,000 Myanmar nationals were being held in Malaysian immigration detention depots, according to ministry figures cited in the report.

Rohingya citizenship remains a major obstacle

The first group of 1,500 people deported by Malaysia did not appear to include Rohingya, according to Myanmar refugee community leaders who spoke to Al Jazeera.

Rohingya leaders say deporting members of the community presents a particular problem because Myanmar does not recognize them as citizens.

“The Rohingyas are a problem for deportation because Myanmar denies their citizenship,” Raf told Al Jazeera.

Myanmar authorities have long denied Rohingya citizenship and describe them as immigrants from Bangladesh, despite the community’s longstanding presence in Rakhine State.

The military’s 2017 crackdown forced more than 700,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh. Many others sought refuge in Malaysia and other countries in the region.

Growing pressure on refugee communities

The deportations come amid growing hostility toward refugees on Malaysian social media.

According to Al Jazeera, videos portraying refugee-populated areas as centers of disorder have circulated widely on TikTok, Facebook, and Threads.

Refugee community leaders told the news organization that some areas highlighted in anti-refugee videos were later targeted by immigration authorities.

Al Jazeera said Malaysia’s Immigration Department had been contacted about the alleged connection but had not responded before publication.

At the same time, organizations supporting refugees are facing reduced funding and resources.

The decline has made it more difficult for aid groups to provide basic services, including healthcare, to refugee communities, according to refugee advocates cited by Al Jazeera.

For Rohingya refugees who cannot safely return to Myanmar, the latest deportations have added to uncertainty over their future in Malaysia.

Community leaders say many are now living with renewed fears of detention and possible deportation, while the situation in Myanmar remains unsafe for members of the Rohingya community.