CNI News

1 July 2023

Foreigner overstayers including Myanmar citizens in Malaysia have not yet been allowed to return home officially, which the people helping Myanmar citizens in Malaysia told CNI News.

Although Malaysia allowed overstayers to return home officially before the Covid period, because official repatriation has been closed since the Covid-19 period, overstayers are finding it difficult to go home, said Ko Thet, chairman of Lovely Heart Philantropic Myanmar Youth Blood Donor Group to CNI News.

people who are repatriated

"Those who can't walk and the people with broken backs want to go back to Myanmar, but they can't. Malaysian immigration department has blocked their return. Myanmar Embassy there, sometimes, help the patients. Even when you go to the Myanmar Embassy, you will be inspected so much that I've heard. That's why it's very difficult. There are about five patients whom we have taken care of. Some pregnant women don't want to give birth here. The patients can't go home as well. Even if they give money, they can't go back.Myanmar Embassy has not taken any action. Malaysia has blocked any foreigner overstayers" he said.

If they get medical treatment in Malaysia, it will cost them a lot of money, Myanmar citizens want to go back home and receive health treatment. But because they have not been allowed to return home officially up to now, most of overstayers go back home through unofficial routes and are arrested on purpose and are punished after which they are sent back to their countries reportedly.

Many overstayers who went back home through unofficial routes were arrested, said U Nyi Nyi Lwin, Director General of Center for Arakan Refugees to CNI.

people who are to be repatriated are being brought

"Especially many pregnant women went back when they were three to five months pregnant. They were arrested on the way back home especially on the Malaysian border. And unhealthy persons have to get the recommendations from physicians and the documents from their embassies. Afer that, they have to submit the documents to the immigration department.It costs a lot. It costs a person about 6 to 7 thousand ringgits. Those who want to go home go home by unofficial routes, giving money. It costs them a great deal of money. They earn about 1,500 each a month. They can only save about five hundreds a month. They have to send the money to their family in their country as well. When they go back home, they have to spend about seven thousand which means they will have to save money for a year if they want to go home. It shouldn't cost them a lot like that" he said.    

Some of the people who want to go home because of bad health cannot afford even if they go back through unofficial routes reportedly.

So, Myanmar Embassy should co-ordinate and negotiate with the Malaysian government for the legal repatriation of overstayers , said the people helping Myanmar citizens in Malaysia.