Trapped in a Cycle of Flight: Stateless Rohingya in Malaysia

This report is one of the outputs of a global research and advocacy project of the Equal Rights Trust (ERT) on stateless persons in detention. It draws attention to the plight of Rohingya who have successfully made the hazardous journey to Malaysia – a present focus, and ‘hotspot’, for Rohingya migration. It focuses on detention practices in Malaysia and the cycle of deportation and trafficking, which must be broken.

The report documents the ways in which immigration related laws, practices and policies of Malaysia are discriminatory and detrimental to the rights and well-being of all irregular migrants in the country. The Rohingya are merely one – albeit particularly vulnerable – group amongst many others. By focussing on the Rohingya in Malaysia, this report raises grave human rights concerns about the treatment of all irregular migrants in the country. It also establishes the need for a robust, holistic and regional solution to the problems faced by the Rohingya, which is embedded in human rights principles.

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