A just published United Nations report has found that the ultimate goal of the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh is to return to Myanmar.聽
The report, prepared by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and published on Wednesday, details the experiences of the Rohingya refugees who have also offered recommendations to achieve a sustainable future.
The new publication titled 鈥楻eport on Rohingya Perspectives on Pathways to a Safe, Dignified, and Peaceful Future: Voices from the Refugee Camps鈥� reflects the perspectives within the Rohingya refugee community in Cox鈥檚 Bazar across age, gender and arrival year.
In-depth interviews and focus group discussions were held with 125 participants from the community, said a press release sent by the UN Resident Coordinator鈥檚 Office in Bangladesh on the day.
As per the report, since late 2023, over 1,50,000 Rohingya have fled into Bangladesh due to conflicts in Rakhine State, adding to over one million refugees already in the camps.
As immediate priorities in the camps鈥�56 per cent interviewees raised urgent need to stop violence from armed and criminal groups and 50 per cent raised importance of education, especially for youths, as key to regaining dignity and future leadership.
They also pointed out the issues of insufficient access to food, healthcare and shelter and demanded earning opportunities to reduce dependency on aid and concrete steps towards safe return with rights.
One of the key findings of the report is an overwhelming desire for repatriation making return to Myanmar their ultimate goal.
The current obstacles for return were marked as conflict between Arakan Army and Myanmar military, while 95 per cent of the participants said that elections under the junta brought no hope for safe future.
According to another key finding, all respondents across age and gender considered safe living under Arakan Army control was impossible.
The report made eight key recommendations, including the United League of Arakan /Arakan Army must comply with international law, its actions towards the Rohingyas must be monitored, United League of Arakan /Arakan Army must invest in confidence building measures identified by the Rohingyas, civil society and youth led networks in the Rohingya refugee camps must be elevated, international community, relevant member states, including regional powers, must leverage all diplomatic pathways effectively to exert pressure for inclusive political dialogue, and sanctions must be expanded and enforced against the junta.
