World News | Over 500 Rohingya Flee Malaysian Detention, Most Rearrested
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. More than 500 Rohingya refugees escaped from detention in Malaysia early Wednesday following a protest but most have been rearrested, immigration officials said.
Kuala Lumpur, Apr 20 (AP) More than 500 Rohingya refugees escaped from detention in Malaysia early Wednesday following a protest but most have been rearrested, immigration officials said.
The Immigration Department said 528 Rohingya fled after breaking a block door and barrier grill at a temporary detention center in northern Penang state. Police and other agencies were deployed and 362 detainees have been rearrested, the department said in a statement.
Also Read | South Korea Reports 1,11,319 New COVID-19 Cases, 166 Deaths in Past 24 Hours.
“The search for the remaining detainees is continuing,” it said, without giving further details on what sparked the breakout.
Malaysia, which has a dominant Muslim population, is a preferred destination for Muslim Rohingya fleeing from Myanmar or those seeking to escape misery in refugee camps in Bangladesh.
Also Read | Ukraine Receives Fighter Planes, Spare Parts To Increase Fleet Size, Says Pentagon.
Malaysia doesn't grant refugee status but the country houses some 180,000 refugees and asylum seekers accredited with the UNHCR, including more than 100,000 Rohingya and other Myanmar ethnic groups. Thousands more stay undocumented after arriving in the country illegally by sea. (AP)
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)