Myanmar migrants returned to war-torn nation from Malaysia

Nearly 1,500 Myanmar migrants returned to their war-torn home country from Malaysia on Sunday, under an opaque repatriation scheme that rights monitors say cannot ensure their safety, according to AFP journalists. Dozens of migrants were transported by buses to a Buddhist monastery hall for immigration and health checks after arriving by Myanmar Navy ships that docked at a base in Thanlyin.

Kyaw Swar Thein, a 53-year-old coffee shop worker from Malaysia, expressed uncertainty about his future, saying, "I haven't met my family yet." Hundreds of families gathered outside the naval base, holding signs with the names of their loved ones, hoping for immediate reunions. However, a naval official informed them that returnees would first be taken to different locations in the Yangon region, preventing immediate reunions.

Concerns grew as one woman, looking for her 19-year-old brother, was unable to find him among the list of returnees. Kyaw Myint, 55, worried about his three grandchildren potentially being conscripted by the military or ethnic armed groups. The Myanmar Navy ships carrying migrants left Malaysia on Tuesday, transporting 1,476 migrants, the first of the 5,000 agreed to be returned by Myanmar.

Most of the returnees are expected to be men, along with 27 children and 79 women. There are concerns that persecuted Rohingya, who fled Myanmar due to a military crackdown starting in 2017, might be among the returned group. Myanmar claims the returnees had served their sentences for immigration offenses in Malaysia, but independent monitor organizations like Fortify Rights warn of dire conditions in detention centers, and the UN refugee agency reports staff were not allowed to meet migrants to confirm their decisions to return were genuinely free and informed.

Myanmar's current leader, Min Aung Hlaing, is expected to visit Malaysia soon to discuss the repatriation scheme, despite the pledge that returns will be safe and dignified.