UNITED NATIONS, Apr 10 – On April 4, it was confirmed by Myanmar authorities that there were approximately 180,000 Rohingya refugees residing in Bangladesh that are eligible to return. Following numerous cuts in funding as a result of President Donald Trump’s reduction of USAID, as well as the increasingly volatile humanitarian crisis in Myanmar, it is uncertain if repatriation will best serve Rohingya refugee communities.
Following a series of armed attacks and human rights violations carried out by the Myanmar military in the Rakhine State, over one million Rohingya refugees fled to settlements in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, as a result of ethnic persecution. The Rohingya people have been denied citizenship by Myanmar, making them the world’s largest stateless population. Cox’s Bazar has been described as being the world’s largest refugee settlement.
Over 70,000 Rohingya refugees fled to Bangladesh in the past year alone. Since 2018, the Bangladeshi government has submitted the names of over 800,000 Rohingya refugees for repatriation. The Myanmar government announced that in addition to the 180,000 Rohingya refugees that are to return home, an additional 70,000 are in the process of awaiting further verification. It was also announced that the verification process for the additional 550,000 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh will be expedited.
However, the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar has escalated considerably since the 2017 attacks and the current climate in Myanmar may not be safe for Rohingya populations. The ongoing Myanmar civil war continues to threaten the lives of thousands of civilians. Rampant political and economic instability, in addition to a compromised healthcare system as a result of the recent earthquake in Myanmar, makes it difficult for aid organizations and the government to facilitate safe returns. Additionally, many have argued that repatriation does not address the core of the issue that forced one million refugees to flee to Bangladesh.
“After all these years, they are confirming only 180,000 names. This feels like nothing more than an eyewash. We want a genuine solution,” said Shafiqur Rahman, a Rohingya refugee. “Myanmar must take all of us back — not just a selected few — and they must ensure we return with full rights, dignity, and citizenship. Without that, this process means nothing to us.”
Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh are currently facing living conditions as a result of overcrowding, a lack of basic services, violence, climate change, and exploitation. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR), Bangladesh is currently ranked third in the world among all the states that have been hit the hardest by natural disaster. Extreme heat, cyclones, flooding, and heavy rainfall are all regular symptoms of climate change in Bangladesh which disproportionately affect the Rohingya population.
“These camps – and the communities that host them – are on the frontlines of the climate crisis. Summers are scorching, and the chance of fires skyrocket. In the cyclone and monsoon seasons, floods and dangerous landslides destroy homes and lives,” said United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres.
Overcrowding has also given way to rampant insecurity within the settlements in Cox’s Bazar. According to estimates from UNHCR, over 50 percent of the displaced population in these camps are women and girls, who face higher risks of gender-based violence and sexual exploitation.
Additionally, Rohingya refugees have informed Doctors Without Borders (MSF) that high levels of violence persist in the Cox’s Bazar camps, particularly after nightfall. “When I hear loud noises, it’s like I’m back in Myanmar,” said a Rohingya refugee. “The sounds bring back all the fear—the fear that someone will come, that I’ll be taken, or worse. My heart races every time. I can’t sleep. I want to feel safe, but it’s hard.”
According to MSF estimates, over 1,000 young people were recruited into armed groups in 2024 to fight in Myanmar. Victims of violence also rarely seek justice or healthcare due to fear of reprisals.“Many patients are afraid to leave their shelters to seek medical care due to the threat of violence against their families. They fear that if they are seen going to a medical facility, their homes could be targeted, or their family members could be harmed,” says a mental health counsellor in the Jamtoli clinic.
“They fear that if they are seen going to a medical facility, their homes could be targeted, or their family members could be harmed. This fear is rooted in past incidents of violence, including the intentional burning of shelters …. The constant threat of violence has made many refugees hesitant to seek out the medical care they need.”
Humanitarian organizations and reporters have indicated that President Trump’s reduction in USAID allowances will further complicate repatriation efforts and the availability of protection services for Rohingya refugees. Guterres described Cox’s Bazar as “ground zero” for the most dire consequences of funding cuts, adding that it would become an “unmitigated disaster”.
According to Rana Flowers, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) representative for Bangladesh, cuts in US grants for Bangladesh will entail “services for (Rohingya) children will be significantly scaled back, putting their survival, safety and futures at risk”. Additionally, healthcare systems will be weakened significantly, which “will deteriorate, increasing the risk of deadly disease outbreaks with flow-on effects for the public health security,” Ms. Flowers warned.
It is imperative that the core issues that drove the Rohingyas out of Myanmar are addressed so a peaceful return can be facilitated and a long standing resolution can be made. According to Flowers, Rohingya refugees “cannot yet safely return home, and have no legal right to work.”
To ensure a safe return for Rohingya refugees, there must be a continuous flow of funding to Myanmar to allow for increased protection services. The issue of Rohingyas being persecuted in Myanmar must be addressed. A change in legislation that grants the Rohingya people citizenship in Myanmar is crucial to achieve a peaceful and permanent repatriation. Additionally, there must be transparency and accountability for violations of international humanitarian law.
“Responsibility for the immense suffering of the Rohingya starts at the top. Min Aung Hlaing, who led the genocidal campaign, is now at the head of an illegal and illegitimate military junta that is attacking civilian populations throughout Myanmar. He must be brought to justice and be made to answer for his crimes,” said Tom Andrews, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, in a statement.
“The Rohingya are tired of empty promises. Their children cannot eat political rhetoric or UN resolutions that go nowhere. They need and deserve the world to end the deadly paralysis of indifference. Immediate action is needed to hold accountable those responsible for genocide and to end the suffering and save the lives of Rohingya who are within and beyond the borders of Myanmar,” Andrews adds.
