More than 300 migrants without legal status have died while in Malaysian custody since 2020, sparking renewed concern among rights advocates over detention conditions and treatment of vulnerable groups fleeing violence and persecution.One of the latest cases is that of Ben Za Min, a 32-year-old from Myanmar’s Chin state, who died in late September after being detained during an immigration raid in northern Malaysia. He had fled Myanmar following the military coup nearly five years ago and was working in construction while awaiting a decision on his refugee status, according to New York Times. According to his family, a minor cut on his lower right leg became infected and turned septic. He was first taken to a hospital for treatment and then returned to detention before being admitted again shortly before his death. His sister, Lin, said she believes he was not given proper medical care. “I think they dismissed him as someone without documentation and treated him with no respect,” she said. Malaysia’s home affairs ministry has not responded to questions regarding his death or the broader death toll inside detention centres.Raids intensify as ‘Year of Enforcement’ declaredMalaysia has tightened immigration controls this year as authorities face a rise in illegal entries. The government has labelled 2025 as “the year of enforcement”, and officials have increased raids in workplaces and migrant communities.Home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said in May that the government “will not compromise” in tackling illegal immigration. Arrests have risen to about 7,000 migrants per month, more than double in recent years, according to Fortify Rights.Malaysia does not offer political asylum, but undocumented migrants can live and work if recognised as refugees by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). However, activists say even some registered refugees have been detained. UNHCR has over 211,000 refugees recorded in the country, most from Myanmar.Concerns over overcrowding, medical neglect and prolonged detentionRights groups warn that detainees are being held for long periods in overcrowded facilities with poor sanitation, limited food and insufficient medical attention.“Detainees face severe torture, both physical and psychological,” said Yap Lay Sheng of Fortify Rights. “Many are held for prolonged periods in overcrowded facilities with filthy sanitation, poor ventilation, inadequate access to clean water, food and medical care.”Many detainees are Rohingya Muslims, who escaped what the United States and others have recognised as genocide by Myanmar’s military. Stateless and unable to return home, they are often detained indefinitely.Malaysia’s immigration department denies allegations of mistreatment and overcrowding, saying its 20 detention centres operate at roughly 90 per cent capacity. It said that some of the detainees remained in custody due to a lack of travel documents or refusal of their home countries to accept them back.Since 2019, UNHCR has been restricted from visiting most detention centres, limiting its ability to identify refugees or inspect conditions. The department says access is possible through an application process, highlighting two visits last year.Families seek accountabilityAdvocates argue that Malaysia’s policies are endangering people fleeing violence, including military defectors and civilians escaping civil war in Myanmar, where conflict has entered its fifth year.“It’s a very inhumane policy to lock up people who should be getting refugee status,” said Ramachelvam Manimuthu, president of Malaysia’s National Human Rights Society. “There are heartbreaking stories: people who are sick in detention centers, people who have died in detention centers.”For families like Ben Za Min’s, answers remain scarce. His relatives in Myanmar said that they still do not know when or how his injury occurred. A hospital reported that he died of septic shock.
