Malaysia’s Rohingya resettlement program stalled
IGP says recent constraints affecting host countries have severely limited resettlement opportunities
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (MNTV) — Malaysia’s long-standing program to resettle Rohingya refugees and other displaced persons in third countries has slowed significantly and is now largely at a standstill, due to challenges faced by receiving nations, said Inspector-General of Police Mohd Khalid Ismail, as quoted by The Star.
He said Malaysia had previously facilitated the relocation of between 7,000 and 8,000 refugees annually under arrangements coordinated through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), but that recent constraints affecting host countries had severely limited resettlement opportunities.
“Malaysia previously had government-to-government (G2G) agreements with several countries to manage refugee resettlement programs,” he told a press conference. “Under these arrangements, Rohingya refugees arriving in Malaysia were given temporary shelter before being relocated to third countries that required their services, either in professional sectors or as part of their workforce.”
Mohd Khalid said the process had grown increasingly difficult in recent years. “Various challenges and constraints have caused the resettlement process to slow down considerably. As a result, the movement of Rohingya refugees to receiving countries has either stopped altogether or is proceeding at a very slow pace,” he said.
The IGP said Malaysia, as an independent and neutral country, had adopted a humanitarian approach by providing temporary protection to Rohingya refugees. Addressing public concerns over the continued presence of Rohingya refugees in the country, he said authorities maintained strict monitoring and enforcement measures to prevent involvement in criminal activities.
He noted that crime involving members of the Rohingya community remained low. “Only 89 Rohingya individuals were recorded as being involved in various offences between 2024 and this year. The figure represented just 0.2% of the total crimes recorded nationwide, indicating that criminal involvement among the community was minimal,” he said.
Mohd Khalid added that UNHCR had informed authorities that approximately 215,000 Rohingya refugees were registered in Malaysia.
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