DEPORTING Syrian asylum seeker Hassan al Kontar back to his country will put him in extreme danger, warned human rights group Amnesty International.

“Malaysian authorities must under no circumstances deport Hassan al Kontar back to Syria,” said Amnesty’s Malaysian researcher Rachel Chhoa-Howard in a statement today.

“If deported, he would be in extreme danger and the Malaysian government would violate the international principle of non-refoulement,” she said.

Chhoa-Howard also said Malaysian authorities had a poor track record of deporting people at risk, and urged Putrajaya, under the new Pakatan Harapan administration, to reverse this trend.

“There is still time to protect his life and safety,” she said.

The 37-year-old Hassan was arrested and remanded for two weeks by the police on October 2. He had been in Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (klia2) since March.

Amnesty said Hassan did not wish to return to Syria, where he had refused to enlist in compulsory military service.

Two days ago, Deputy Home Minister Mohd Azis Jamman said Hassan will be deported to his home country soon as he had rejected offers to live in several Asean countries.

Azis said the Syrian only wanted to live in Canada, which had stipulated that he could only enter the country two years from now.

“Malaysia cannot allow him to live in klia2 for 24 months. I hope Hassan will change his mind and stay in any country that accepts him while waiting to migrate to Canada,” said the deputy minister. – AFP, October 7, 2018.