Myanmar Agrees to Take Back 5,000 Rohingya Refugees from Malaysia

Myanmar has agreed to accept the return of 5,000 Rohingya refugees currently living in Malaysia, according to Malaysian authorities, in what is being described as a rare move by the conflict-hit country.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Wednesday that Myanmar had previously refused to accept the return of Rohingya refugees, making repatriation efforts difficult.

"People ask why we are not sending the Rohingya back. But where would we send them? Myanmar had refused to accept them for so long," Anwar said.

He added that improved relations between the two countries had led Myanmar to agree to take back 5,000 Rohingya.

More than 215,000 registered refugees and asylum seekers are currently living in Malaysia, according to official figures. Data from the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) shows that more than 126,000 of them are Rohingya.

The announcement came days after Malaysian authorities detained more than 100 Rohingya near the UNHCR office in Kuala Lumpur. A rights group said the refugees had gone to the UN office seeking protection after facing eviction threats from a settlement in Penang.

The planned repatriation comes amid ongoing concerns over the safety and rights of Rohingya refugees, many of whom fled Myanmar following years of persecution and violence.