Events

In this online discussion invited experts share insights from their research or practical work with displaced Rohingyas in South and Southeast Asia. The 1½ -hour debate will inform the audience about the current situation and discuss fields of action for progressive refugee protection, humanitarian aid, and development cooperation.

More than 1.1 million people have fled from Myanmar; 650,000 have been displaced within this country. The Rohingyas represent one of the most persecuted ethnic minority groups who were forced to flee. After successive phases of state-led violence in 2017, hundred thousands fled to Bangladesh, where almost 950,000 displaced Rohingyas live in some of the world’s largest and most densely populated refugee camps. The government of Bangladesh, local communities and international organisations provide essential humanitarian aid but there are hardly any long-term perspectives for Rohingya refugees in the country. In contrary, the government continues to view repatriation to Myanmar as preferred and indeed only solution.

While the majority of Rohingyas wish to return, repeated cycles of violence and ongoing persecution prevent them from actually returning home. Moreover, there have been no concrete efforts to resettle encamped Rohingyas to other countries. Some refugees have thus taken their fate into their own hands and moved on to other countries in the region. In India, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, Rohingyas are, however, also confronted with livelihood insecurity, precarious labour relations, discrimination and exclusion. As a result, the world witnessed a dramatic protracted refugee situation emerging in South and Southeast Asia over the past five years but found no adequate ways to respond to it.

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