MEDIA QUOTE
28 JULY 2026
Responding to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s directive for authorities to take “stern action” against Rohingya refugees gathered outside the UNHCR office in Kuala Lumpur, which resulted in the arrest of more than 100 Rohingya refugees yesterday, Amnesty International Malaysia’s spokesperson Divya Shesshsan Balakrishnan said:
“Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s response is deeply concerning because it turned what was fundamentally a humanitarian situation into an enforcement issue. These were Rohingya refugees, including women and children, who reportedly travelled to Kuala Lumpur seeking assistance after being displaced from their homes. Yet instead of providing protection and support, the Prime Minister’s response resulted in the arrests of entire families and threats of immigration action.
Malaysia cannot build a credible refugee protection system while simultaneously treating refugees as people to be rounded up, detained, and removed. Refugees and asylum-seekers should be treated with dignity and in accordance with their human rights, as people who need protection, whether or not Malaysia has ratified the 1951 Refugee Convention.
Viewing this matter solely through the lens of detention, immigration offences, and removal risks obscuring the reality that these are people in need of protection. These kinds of public narratives coming from the highest levels of government have also significantly contributed to the fueling of stigma, discrimination, and hostility towards people seeking safety.
We also remind the government that the principle of non-refoulement prohibits returning individuals to places where they face a real risk of persecution, torture or other serious human rights violations. Given the ongoing conflict and human rights crisis in Myanmar, Amnesty International Malaysia calls on the Malaysian government to immediately halt all planned deportations and any other forced returns of Rohingya and other Myanmar nationals to Myanmar.
The government should take this moment to pause and fundamentally rethink the direction of its refugee policies. If Malaysia is serious about taking greater responsibility of refugee management, it cannot allow detention and deportation of those in need of protection to be the foundation of its approach. We urge the government to engage immediately with civil society and refugee communities to develop a rights-respecting framework centred on protection, dignity, and durable solutions before harmful policies and practices become entrenched,” said Divya Shesshsan Balakrishnan.
BACKGROUND
On 27 July 2026, more than 100 Rohingya refugees, including women and children, gathered outside the UNHCR office in Kuala Lumpur after reportedly being displaced from their homes in Penang and travelling to the capital to seek assistance and protection. Following public remarks by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim directing authorities to take “stern action” against those gathered, the group was taken into custody by the authorities.
The incident comes amid a series of recent government measures and statements concerning refugees and asylum-seekers, including the suspension of UNHCR refugee registration and announcements regarding the deportation of Myanmar nationals.
Amnesty International Malaysia calls for the immediate release of refugees and asylum-seekers that are being held solely on the basis of their immigration status, an absolute ban on deportations and other forced returns to Myanmar, and meaningful consultation with refugee communities and civil society on the development of a rights-respecting refugee protection framework.
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