UN Says Bangladesh Relocation of Rohingya Muslim Refugees Should Be Voluntary
Bangladeshi authorities Friday moved more than 1,500 Rohingya refugees to Bhasan Char, an uninhabited Bay of Bengal island vulnerable to cyclones and prone to flooding.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees spokesman Babar Baloch said the United Nations was not involved in the preparation of this movement. He said it did not know the identification of the refugees and had limited information on the overall relocation operation.
He said the UNHCR is concerned that the Rohingya refugees did not have the information they needed to make a free and informed decision about relocating to Bhasan Char.
“We have heard reports from the camps that some refugees may feel pressured into relocating to Bhasan Char or may have changed their initial views about relocation and no longer wish to move. If so, they should be allowed to remain in the camps,” he said.
In 2017, nearly 1 million refugees fled persecution and violence in Myanmar for Cox’s Bazar where they are living in squalid and overcrowded camps.
Bangladesh says it wants to ease congestion in the camps and sees the recent relocation of the Rohingya as the first step in a plan to move 100,000 refugees to Bhasan Char.
The UN has been calling on the government to respect its commitment that the movements to the island would be voluntary.
Baloch said the UNHCR is troubled by images of distressed refugees during the relocation process and has conveyed its concerns to Bangladeshi authorities.
“We again emphasize that all movements as mentioned earlier to Bhasan Char must be voluntary and based upon consultations and full information regarding conditions of life on the island and the rights and services that refugees will be able to access,” he said.
