KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 — The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) today expressed “deep concern” over the fate of Rohingya refugees allowed into Malaysia, saying the group could not be deported back to Myanmar.

While lauding Malaysia for receiving a reported 1,100 refugees left stranded on boats by people smugglers, the UN agency said the Rohingyas should not be treated as illegal immigrants.

“UNHCR’s concern is for the relatively small number of Rohingyas from Myanmar in the group, who are likely to need international protection and cannot be returned to Myanmar.

“At this time, UNHCR has not received a formal response from the Government asking it to participate in any operational way, but stands ready to do so if required,” it said in a statement today.

The UNHCR then offered its continued assistance in helping Malaysia document and house the refugees, saying that it has aided in resettling over 100,000 such individuals in Malaysia since 2005.

It also pressed Malaysia to expend greater resources to track down and prosecute those involved in the human smuggling network who are behind the current crisis.

Migrant activists estimate that some 8,000 Bangladeshi and Rohingya remain stranded at sea after people smugglers abandoned ship following a Thai crackdown on human trafficking.

National news agency Bernama reported Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak as saying on Saturday that Malaysia must not be burdened with the “problem” of Rohingya refugees as it is an issue that must be addressed collectively by all Asean countries.

International news agency AFP reported yesterday diplomats and analysts as saying that Asean’s pledge of non-interference and its failure to curb Myanmar’s systematic abuse of the Rohingya – who suffer state-sanctioned discrimination and are denied citizenship despite having lived in Myanmar for generations – have contributed to the migrant crisis in the region.

Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia have been turning away boats of migrants back out to sea as the International Organisation of Migration reportedly criticised the Southeast Asian nations for playing “maritime ping-pong” with people’s lives.