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Ahmadul Kobir, Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia’s Home Ministry has finalised the first phase of a programme to voluntarily repatriate 5,000 Myanmar nationals to their home country in stages.
The repatriation will be carried out safely, systematically and responsibly in coordination with the Myanmar government, the ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
Under the first phase, 1,476 Myanmar nationals will be repatriated on September 29. Their identities have been confirmed by the Myanmar government through Diplomatic Note No. 649/47 01(2026), dated August 13.
The repatriation date was subsequently approved at a coordination meeting involving relevant Malaysian agencies.
Two Myanmar Navy warships and a hospital ship will be used for the first phase. Necessary logistical arrangements and coordination have been made among the Home Ministry, Foreign Ministry, National Security Council and Defence Ministry.
The ministry said 5,000 Myanmar nationals would undergo a phased voluntary repatriation process in 2026, while another 4,008 Myanmar nationals, particularly those claiming refugee status, would be registered under Malaysia’s Documentation and Registration of Refugees (DPP) programme.
However, the ministry stressed that not all of the 10,388 Myanmar nationals held at immigration detention depots as of August 15 could be classified as refugees.
The Immigration Department, in cooperation with the Royal Malaysia Police, is verifying their identities, nationalities, immigration status, refugee claims and security backgrounds. The DPP registration process for the group is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2026.
The government’s strategy involves two parallel approaches. First, Malaysia will continue diplomatic negotiations with Myanmar to ensure the repatriation process is conducted in stages and in an orderly and responsible manner.
Second, the government will register and collect data on individuals claiming refugee or asylum-seeker status under the DPP programme to establish comprehensive and accurate information about them.
The ministry said accurate and up-to-date information was essential for managing the repatriation process and ensuring a clear pathway towards a long-term solution.
The DPP programme will subsequently be expanded to undocumented migrants outside immigration detention depots, including UNHCR cardholders and people claiming refugee status.
The registration will collect biometric and personal information to support monitoring, enforcement and national security management.
Individuals who meet the requirements and complete the registration process will receive DPP cards, allowing them to remain temporarily in Malaysia subject to government conditions and monitoring.
Meanwhile, the Home Ministry will continue identifying individuals who are eligible and willing to return voluntarily. The Foreign Ministry will coordinate the repatriation process with the Myanmar government or other relevant countries.
More than 95 percent of refugees in Malaysia originate from Myanmar, including members of the Rohingya, Chin, Karen and Mon communities, according to the ministry.
It said the issue could not be resolved unilaterally and Malaysia would continue direct diplomatic engagement with Myanmar to ensure repatriation was conducted in an orderly, dignified and mutually agreed manner.
The government said repatriation would be based on the consent and coordination of both countries, while registration, data collection, monitoring and efforts to find long-term solutions for refugees and asylum seekers would continue in parallel.