More than 28,000 people were deported from Malaysia between Jan 1 and July 6 this year, says home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
In a written parliamentary reply, Saifuddin said 28,525 individuals were removed under the Immigration Act 1959/63. Of these, 21,039 were adult men (74%), 6,145 were adult women (21%), 778 were boys (3%) and 563 were girls (2%).
He said Indonesians made up the largest group (11,085), followed by Myanmar nationals (4,885) and Filipinos (4,465).
Saifuddin said Malaysia upheld the principle of non-refoulement although the country was not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol.
“As a matter of principle, Malaysia does not deport UNHCR cardholders unless it is for resettlement to a third country,” he said.
Citing International Organization for Migration data, he said 8,627 refugees and asylum seekers were resettled abroad in 2024. As of June 2025, 947 had been resettled, mainly to the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Saifuddin was responding to Syerleena Abdul Rashid (PH-Bukit Bendera), who had asked for a breakdown of deportations by age, gender, nationality and UNHCR status, as well as the steps taken to ensure that Malaysia abides by the principle of non-refoulement.
