Malaysia has begun sending migrants from Myanmar home, with the first group of almost 1,500 people arriving in southern Yangon in early October. Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says in total, 5,000 people will be sent home, and he describes the repatriations as ‘voluntary’, a claim human rights groups question.

The migrants being repatriated have been living in detention centers often in poor conditions, with no prospect of long-term residency as Malaysia is not a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention and does not legally recognize refugees or asylum seekers.

The country also treats all undocumented migrants as illegal immigrants, leaving them in legal limbo.

But human rights groups say returning to Myanmar isn’t much of an alternative. Burmese nationals returning to their home country run the risk of being conscripted into the local military junta or ethnic rebel groups.

And the Rohingyas, a stateless ethnic minority group that fled a Myanmar military crackdown in 2017, could face a particularly troubling fate if returned to Myanmar, as they do not have citizenship and have no safe place to return to.

Attitudes in Malaysia towards migrants fleeing from Myanmar have been relatively welcoming in the past, and there are now almost 200,000 migrants in the country.

So what’s changed? And what does the repatriation policy say about Prime Minister Anwar Ibraham’s political position?

On this episode of Asia Specific, host Mariko Oi is joined by BBC South East Asia correspondent Jonathan Head and human rights lawyer for Asylum Access Malaysia, Joanne Chua.

Asia Pacific, unpacked by those who know it best. Bringing you essential insights and conversations on the stories shaping the region - an economic powerhouse, geo-political flashpoint and the birthplace of global cultural trends.

Hear Asian perspectives on international issues and in-depth analysis on news from a region that’s home to nearly 2.5 billion people. Whether it is the latest on trade between the US and China, the rise and fall of political dynasties in Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, or South Korea’s K-pop inspired soft power strategy, we find out what key players are thinking and dive into the stories that matter.

Hosted in Singapore by Mariko Oi, alongside BBC experts in Beijing, Bangkok, and beyond – listen to new episodes twice a week. Episodes of Asia Specific are also available on YouTube, here: https://bit.ly/4iJyeVt

Get in touch: asiaspecific@bbc.co.uk

Written off as the inferior bean, robusta coffee might have the last laugh as climate change makes arabica harder to grow.

While rising heat pushes prized arabica-growing regions to their limits, robusta, the stronger but less fruitier-tasting bean, can handle the temperatures arabica can't. Vietnam is the world's undisputed robusta leader and the planet's second-biggest coffee exporter overall, which means a warming world could actually hand it an edge other coffee nations don't have.

But the story isn't that simple. Vietnam's coffee farmers are aging, EU deforestation rules threaten a market that buys up to half the country's exports, and many growers have shifted in and out of coffee towards durian and avocado depending on which crop pays best that year.

So could climate change reshape the global balance between robusta and arabica for good — and is Vietnam's coffee boom actually built to last?

On this episode of Asia Specific, host Mariko Oi is joined by BBC senior journalist Sen Nguyen and Thuan Sarzynski, who leads coffee sustainability efforts in Vietnam for commodities trading group ECOM Agroindustrial.

Asia Pacific, unpacked by those who know it best. Bringing you essential insights and conversations on the stories shaping the region - an economic powerhouse, geo-political flashpoint and the birthplace of global cultural trends.

Hear Asian perspectives on international issues and in-depth analysis on news from a region that’s home to nearly 2.5 billion people.Whether it is the latest on trade between the US and China, the rise and fall of political dynasties in Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, or South Korea’s K-pop inspired soft power strategy, we find out what key players are thinking and dive into the stories that matter.

Hosted in Singapore by Mariko Oi, alongside BBC experts in Beijing, Bangkok, and beyond – listen to new episodes twice a week. Episodes of Asia Specific are also available on YouTube, just search Asia Specific.

Indonesia is considering allowing dual citizenship for a limited group of highly skilled Indonesians living abroad, including scientists, engineers, doctors and AI researchers. The proposal is aimed at encouraging Indonesians who have built careers overseas to maintain a connection with the country and eventually contribute to its economy and development.

But dual citizenship remains relatively uncommon in Asia. So why do countries such as Japan, China, South Korea and Singapore restrict it, while the Philippines and Cambodia allow it?

In this episode, host Mariko Oi speaks to a freelance journalist Randy Mulyanto in Jakarta about the reaction to Indonesia’s proposal and the country’s brain drain, and Professor Elaine Ho from the National University of Singapore about why Asian countries mostly take a different approach to Western countries about citizenship.

Asia Pacific, unpacked by those who know it best. Bringing you essential insights and conversations on the stories shaping the region - an economic powerhouse, geo-political flashpoint and the birthplace of global cultural trends.

Hear Asian perspectives on international issues and in-depth analysis on news from a region that’s home to nearly 2.5 billion people.

Whether it is the latest on trade between the US and China, the rise and fall of political dynasties in Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, or South Korea’s K-pop inspired soft power strategy, we find out what key players are thinking and dive into the stories that matter.

Hosted in Singapore by Mariko Oi, alongside BBC experts in Beijing, Bangkok, and beyond – listen to new episodes twice a week. Episodes of Asia Specific are also available on YouTube, here: https://bit.ly/4iJyeVt

Get in touch: asiaspecific@bbc.co.uk