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Eleven western countries on Monday pledged to work with the Bangladesh government to keep their attention focused on the years-long Rohingya crisis.

In a joint statement, the High Commissions of Canada, Australia, and Britain, the embassies of France, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Italy in Dhaka, and the Embassy of Finland in New Delhi, made the pledge.

On Monday morning, the French embassy uploaded the joint statement on its  social media handles.

The statement said, ‘We will continue to work with the Government of Bangladesh and the international community to focus attention on the situation in Myanmar and the related humanitarian crisis in Bangladesh, including at the upcoming High-Level Conference in September 2025.’

Marking the eighth year of the Rohingya influx into Bangladesh from Myanmar’s Rakhine State, the statement acknowledged that over 10 lakh displaced Rohingya people remain in Bangladesh, and new arrivals continued to seek refuge in the camps.

The most significant Rohingya influx into Bangladesh occurred in late 2017, when over seven lakh Rohingya people fled violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State. They overflowed the Rohingya camps already congested by hundreds of thousands who had arrived in previous waves since the 1970s.

The 2017 influx caused widespread forest destruction and degradation, primarily in the wildlife-rich Cox’s Bazar district, as land was cleared for makeshift camps and for collecting firewood.

The 11 western countries appreciated the interim government and people of Bangladesh for providing shelter and safety to the Rohingya people, including new arrivals, hosting them and supporting the provision of life-saving humanitarian assistance.

‘However, cross-border displacement continues, many Rohingya in Rakhine remain internally displaced, and conditions in Myanmar do not currently allow for their voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return. These conditions can only be met by addressing the root causes of their displacement, which requires a peaceful and stable Myanmar,’ the statement said.

The countries observed that a timeline for the return of the Rohingya could not yet be established and stressed to all actors to support efforts to create a conducive environment.

The countries condemned the escalating violence and human rights abuses committed by Myanmar’s military regime and other armed actors and reiterated their call for an immediate end to all acts of violence.

Iterating their call for the military regime to release those unjustly detained, the countries also expressed their commitment to supporting international efforts for accountability for violations of international humanitarian law and other grave human rights abuses.

Suggesting self-reliance for Rohingyas, especially in light of reduced humanitarian funding to the Rohingya response, the statement said, ‘The international community stands steadfast with the Rohingya and Bangladesh, committed to seeking long-term durable solutions to the Rohingya crisis and address its root causes.’