In Bangladesh, there are 32 000 registered refugees located in two camps primarily in Cox’s Bazar District bordering eastern Rakhine state. An additional 200,000-500,000 unregistered refugees live in makeshift camps there with locals.
After facing a constant flow of Rohingya refugees for more than two decades, the Bangladesh government now plans to relocate the refugees to a remote island located in Noakhali District, ThengarChar, about 250 km north of the current camps.
The government claims that this move will improve refugees’ accessibility to humanitarian aid. Human rights groups and Rohingya refugee groups oppose the plan. The Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network declared the plan to be ” absurd, dangerous and inhumane“. Rights groups claim that the island cannot be inhabited. It was only raised from the sea 11 years ago , and is prone to flooding.
Reuters
Local Integration
The Rohingya and Cox’s Bazar Bangladeshi share a similar dialect and culture. Due to this, the law enforcement agencies cannot always distinguish between locals and refugees. Many refugees work in the informal economy despite restrictions placed on them. Some children attend local schools. The government reluctantly has allowed refugees to remain so far. However, it is concerned that these opportunities will lead towards integration.
Thengar Char, in its most literal sense, is an island that is far away. The closest sub-district, Hatiya, is two hours by boat. The surrounding areas are the world’s longest sea beach. The city is well-connected to Bangladesh and the rest of the world via land and air. It also offers its staff all the basic amenities and security of a large city.
Ukranian tourists draw the attention of locals at Cox’s Bazar Beach. Matt Zanon/Wikimedia, CC BY-ND
Thengar Char is an exception in overpopulated Bangladesh, as it contains no human settlement. The villagers who live in the area complain that pirates are stealing goods from nearby waters and holding people as hostages. Security risks and the remoteness of the area may deter humanitarian agency staff from moving there.
Human catastrophes are possible
The Bangladesh Forest Department has issued a warning that Thengar Char Island is not suitable for human settlement. In a Letter, the department stated that:
The soil and environment in Thengar Char are not suitable for human settlement. During monsoon, the island is completely submerged. Although it is visible during the dry season, much of the island disappears at high tide.
The threat of cyclones is a serious one. A catalog of tropical storms that hit Bangladesh shows 193 cyclones have struck the country from 1484 to 2009. perhaps the deadliest tropical storm in history struck the region in 1970. It caused a six-metre surge of water and killed around 300,000. A human catastrophe will almost certainly occur if even a small cyclone strikes the proposed Rohingya camps.
The Noakhali District Administration has written, that the government will also need to “build flood-protection embankments, cyclone centers and necessary infrastructure as well as ensure supply of drinking waters” before they can receive the Rohingyas at Thengar Char.
Loss of connections
The Rohingyas are familiar with the border camps that exist in Cox’s Bazar, not only culturally but also physically. Some people can cross into Bangladesh by wading across a small creek or taking a boat.
Many Rohingyas flee to Bangladesh when violence breaks out in Myanmar. When the conflict ends, they return home. registration has not been done since 1992. Bangladesh does not have specific laws for refugees, so the country’s unregistered Rohingya migrant population is in limbo.
Rohingya fisherman near a camp of refugees in Teknaf. Andrew Biraj/Reuters
Many Rohingyas cross the border during relative peace to receive medical care, to attend school, to marry, to go shopping, to visit family, or for other reasons. Many will continue their migration to Saudi Arabia and Malaysia. These practices are likely to be in violation of Bangladeshi law. However, they have been practiced for generations and are widely accepted.
Many newly arrived refugees and migrants receive shelter, food, and other help from their relatives who live in Bangladesh camps. The camp is also a bridge between the Rohingyas in Myanmar and the diaspora that includes approximately one million other people.
Force indirecte for repatriation
Bangladesh is in negotiations with Myanmar for the repatriation of Rohingyas. Many Rohingyas living in Bangladesh are willing to return to their homeland if the state can guarantee their safety.
The risk of violence and persecution in Myanmar is still high, and many refugees don’t feel safe there. International Law requires the Bangladeshi government to only send refugees back who will voluntarily return.
Many Rohingyas may “agree” if the alternative is to be banished to Thengarchar rather than risk a dangerous, uncertain future on an island in Bangladesh.