Bangladesh repatriation could be delayed

17 December 2019
Bangladesh repatriation could be delayed
A general view of a Rohingya refugees' makeshift camp in Kutubpalang, Cox Bazar district, Bangladesh. Photo: EPA

The Myanmar government will not push for the much-delayed repatriation of Rohingya refugees living for more than two years in displacement camps in Bangladesh until the genocide case at the U.N’s top court is over and possibly until Myanmar’s next elections are held in late 2020, RFA reported.

Myanmar signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Bangladesh in November 2017 to repatriate some of the 740,000 Rohingya who fled during a military-led crackdown in northern Rakhine state that began in August of that year.

But very few refugees have returned on their own, because most of them fear continued violence and systematic discrimination. They have demanded that Myanmar take action to ensure their safety, give them access to education and healthcare, lift travel restrictions on them, and grant them citizenship, the report said.