Malaysia detains 196 Rohingya migrants from Myanmar

Malaysian authorities detained nearly 200 migrants, believed to be Rohingya from Myanmar, after their boat ran aground on Langkawi island Friday, police said.

The group included 68 men, 57 women, 32 boys, and 39 girls, according to Langkawi police chief Shariman Ashari.

“All detainees are believed to be from the Rohingya ethnic group, who are thought to have departed Myanmar by boat approximately 10 days ago,” Ashari said in a statement.

The migrants have been referred to the immigration department in Langkawi for processing and health screenings, he added.

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) said it has intensified patrols to locate additional boats carrying undocumented Myanmar migrants.

Immigration officers check a riverine area near an immigration detention centre where more than 100 Myanmar migrants, including Rohingya refugees, escaped, at Bidor, Malaysia February 2, 2024.Reuters

“Based on information received by the MMEA, two more boats are carrying undocumented Myanmar migrants at sea, but their exact location is still unknown,” MMEA Director-General Mohd Rosli Abdullah said in a statement.

The MMEA is coordinating with Thai authorities to track the movement of the boats, Rosli added.

The Rohingya, a persecuted minority in Myanmar, often flee to Muslim-majority Malaysia or refugee camps in Bangladesh. Many endure treacherous, months-long sea journeys to reach Malaysia or cross its border with Thailand.

Rights groups have criticized Malaysia’s detention centers, calling them overcrowded and unsanitary.

Between 2010 and 2024, the MMEA and other agencies detained 2,089 undocumented migrants from Myanmar attempting to enter Malaysia in 18 boats, Rosli said.