Expert Commentary by Dr Nyi Nyi Kyaw and Caitlin McCaffrie Myanmar has long been the primary source of displacement in Southeast Asia, resulting in refugees and people seeking asylum from Myanmar living across Southeast and South Asia, often in precarious circumstances. This paper aims to unpack the current situation facing those displaced from Myanmar and…
Dhaka, 15 December 2023 – Protecting Refugees in Asia (PRiA) project partners call for a comprehensive and coordinated regional response to address the recent escalation of irregular maritime movement by Rohingya to Indonesia. Over 2,000 Rohingya have arrived in Indonesia by boat since the beginning of October 2023 and more are expected to arrive in…
In the past two years, there has been a precipitous rise in the number of Rohingya refugees making the decision to undertake dangerous land and sea journeys in search of safety and protection. Recent arrivals to Aceh throughout November, who are in urgent need of shelter, nutrition and medical assistance, were initially pushed back to…
Regional implications of the Rohingya humanitarian crisis The Rohingya, the world’s largest stateless population, have experienced decades of persecution, systematic discrimination, and targeted violence by successive Myanmar authorities. This humanitarian crisis has resulted in the mass displacement of over 1.6 million Rohingya throughout the wider Asia region, including 952,300 in Bangladesh, 106,100 in Malaysia, 21,600…
This snapshot examines access to information about routes, destinations, costs, and risks among Afghan, Chin, and Rohingya refugees in Malaysia. It presents insights on the sources of information and the means used to obtain information both before and during the journey to Malaysia, information gaps and the implications these gaps have on decision-making. Key findings…
Welcome to the June Q2 2023 newsletter from the Asia Displacement Solutions Platform. These newsletters are intended to shine a spotlight on some of the issues being tackled by our members, and the programmatic work done to improve outcomes for persons affected by displacement. We hope you find this newsletter informative. For any questions please don’t…
Over 1.6 million Rohingya remain in situations of protracted displacement in Bangladesh and the wider Asia region, including in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. Major host countries of Rohingya refugees have resisted accession to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol. Concerned about ‘pull factors’ bringing more Rohingya and other refugees to their territories, and…
14 June 2023 – DHAKA, Bangladesh: Almost six years after the mass displacement of Rohingya from Myanmar to Bangladesh, a comprehensive regional response is long overdue. There are 1.6 million Rohingya who have sought safety across Asia, but they live in precarious conditions, without legal status, with limited access to services, and with little hope…
With long-term solutions likely to remain elusive, it’s time to make serious efforts toward improving Rohingya lives in the short term. For around 1 million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar living in Bangladesh, sustainable solutions such as safe and voluntary return to their homeland, large-scale resettlement in third countries, or local integration in Bangladesh will remain…
25 May 2023 – DHAKA, Bangladesh: The arbitrary and indefinite immigration detention of Rohingya is harmful to refugees and their families. As Rohingya flee ongoing persecution in Myanmar and deteriorating security conditions in camps in Bangladesh, punitive immigration detention has not and will not deter them from coming to Malaysia for safety. Immigration detention is expensive,…