Malaysia to repatriate 3,524 Myanmar refugees in second phase

Kuala Lumpur (ANTARA) - Malaysian government spokesperson and Minister of Communications, Fahmi Fadzil, has announced that Malaysia will repatriate 3,524 Myanmar refugees to their country of origin during the second phase of the programme.

“In the second phase, a total of 3,524 Myanmar refugees have been agreed upon with the Myanmar authorities and will be escorted home at the next available opportunity,” Fahmi stated during an online press conference in Putrajaya, Malaysia, on Wednesday.

Fahmi noted that the first phase was carried out on Tuesday (29/09), involving 1,476 Myanmar refugees, and the names of those being repatriated had been formally submitted via diplomatic note on 13 August 2026.

He added that the Malaysian Prime Minister will hold discussions with Myanmar’s leadership in the near future to ensure that more Myanmar refugees currently in Malaysia can be accepted for return.

Regarding the specific date for the second phase of repatriation, Fahmi stated that the Malaysian government is still awaiting confirmation from Myanmar.

“We expect that once the first phase is complete, we will receive an announcement from the Myanmar side regarding the second group. Once a definite date is established, the Ministry of Home Affairs will make an announcement,” said Fahmi.

Previously, Malaysia repatriated 1,476 Myanmar refugees during the first phase on Tuesday, in accordance with bilateral negotiations between the two nations.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim stated that following negotiations with Myanmar, it was agreed that 5,000 refugees would be returned voluntarily and in stages.

Anwar emphasised that Malaysia is adopting a more structured approach to managing the Myanmar refugee issue.