Myanmar nationals have become the targets of intensifying efforts to detain and expel undocumented foreigners from Malaysia in the last three months, according to sources living in the country.
Malaysian authorities introduced a policy plan late last year focussed on detaining and deporting Myanmar migrants in the urban areas where they are most heavily concentrated, such as the cities of Kuala Lumpur, Johor, Penang, and Selangor.
Since October, the rise in arrests has been so drastic that many have been forced into hiding, a Myanmar woman working in Kuala Lumpur said on Monday.
“Most undocumented people here have entered via illegal routes or by plane. Some become so terrified at the sight of the police that their knees shake and their hearts start to race. It’s enough to cause a heart attack,” she told Myanmar Now.
Arrests have become a daily occurrence and a routine part of life in the affected areas, according to a Myanmar man staying in Malaysia.
“A large force of police vehicles, immigration officers, and officials from various departments usually blocks off entire streets or neighbourhoods. They don’t care if you open the doors to your home or rooms; they simply break them down and arrest you,” he said.
On October 5, a 38-year-old Myanmar woman was hit by a train and killed while attempting to flee arrest in Seremban City in Negeri Sembilan State.
The Myanmar Labour Affairs and Refugee Organisation, a group assisting Myanmar migrant workers in Malaysia, reported that the Malaysian government has been implementing an enforcement programme originally intended to last one year, from December 2023 to December 2024.
The organisation’s chairman Min Htike said the authorities immediately deport detainees back to Myanmar without a review process or possibility for appeal.
“According to what we’ve heard, Myanmar nationals’ cases are not being tried in court due to overcrowding in prisons and detention centres. Instead, they are being returned to Myanmar in batches as soon as plane tickets can be bought,” he said.
Although hundreds of individuals are said to have been captured and deported, the exact number is unknown.
Reports indicate that people from the Philippines, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Nigeria are also among those arrested for illegal residence in Malaysia.
In the past, people detained for lacking complete documentation in Malaysia were granted a trial. First-time offenders and those who cooperated with authorities during the process usually incurred a fine rather than facing imprisonment.
They were often even allowed to continue working in the country after successfully applying for official documents and work permits from the Malaysian government.
The more recent treatment inflicted on them constitutes a violation of their rights, the Myanmar man living in Malaysia said.
“This cannot be considered lawful. In terms of human rights, they should be granted legal protections and a chance to explain or resolve the issue, whether or not they have the required documents,” he added.
People deported to Myanmar without warning are at immediate risk of falling into the hands of the military authorities, who have been enforcing a revived military service requirement this year and forcibly conscripting young men into the army.
“This is a concern for everyone. It’s well-known that this is happening in our country,” Min Htike said. “Some family members even pay in advance at the airport before their loved ones return.”
Similarly, in Thailand, anxiety has heightened among migrants as more undocumented Myanmar nationals are arrested and deported, facing the threat of being sent off to training centres as soon as they arrive in their home country.
Since the 2021 coup, young people have been fleeing to neighbouring Thailand and other foreign countries by various means, motivated by the collapse of the country’s economy, internal conflict, and most recently the enforcement of the national conscription law.
Malaysia is one of the countries into which Myanmar workers cross directly from southern Thailand before travelling without documents to cities like Johor (Johor Bahru) and Kuala Lumpur to find work.
According to the representatives of organisations assisting Myanmar migrant workers in Malaysia, the cost of such travel can range from around 8 million to more than 10 million kyat (US $3,800 to $4,800).
Since June 2024, Malaysia has also temporarily halted the recruitment of legally documented Myanmar workers, resulting in an increase of Myanmar migrants entering the country illegally, they said.
While attempting to escape Myanmar, migrant workers without documents risk arrest by authorities at the Thailand-Myanmar and Thailand-Malaysia borders before even reaching Malaysia. They are also vulnerable to being cheated by border smugglers or even becoming trafficking victims.
In the second week of December, Thai security forces apprehended 68 Myanmar nationals en route to Malaysia for work in Ranong Province, Thailand. On December 11, Thai police in the town of Kanchanaburi intercepted and arrested 84 Rohingya people fleeing Rakhine State for Malaysia.
As of April, an estimated 400,000 Myanmar nationals are among the 2.5 million foreign workers with low-skilled jobs in Malaysia, comprising up to 15 percent of the total, but Min Htike said this was likely a substantial underestimate.
