The Rohingya should not be repatriated. The goal of this article is to make a recommendation in opposition to repatriation.

During the British rule from 1824 to 1948, many labourers from India and Bangladesh (now Rohingya) migrated to Myanmar for opportunities in agricultural labour. This migration was considered internal as Britain viewed India and Bangladesh as provinces part of Burma (now called Myanmar after the British rule. 

This migration was not well received by many natives. And after independence from Britain, the Union Citizenship Act was established, outlining ethnicities that can apply for citizenship. Rohingya was not part of the act.

With all the factors combined; migration during the British rule along with the act refusing citizenship, the Rohingya were and are badly persecuted by the Myanmarese people. Another cause of this is the Rohingya group being Muslim. Myanmar is a predominantly Buddhist country and with the already ongoing xenophobia, many Buddhist extremists have used Rohingya’s Islamic beliefs as another reason for the ongoing persecution. 

The major event that occurred that made the already devastating situation immensely worse is the military crackdown in 2017 in Rakhine state. What took place was a series of mass murder, rape and destruction committed by Myanmar soldiers of what many described to be something close to a genocide. This event is what led to many Rohingyas becoming refugees in different countries one of them being Bangladesh.

Bangladesh is the country currently holding most Rohingya refugees. Their current living situation is that of most refugees but would be considered incredibly better compared to living in fear of persecution in Myanmar. Many refugees live in refugee camps. These camps are overpopulated which has led to over 20,000 refugees being moved by the Bangladeshi government to a remote island called Bhasan Char. Many NGOs are also present in supporting these refugees. UNICEF provides medical supplies and The Doctors Without Borders team implements mental health programmes and vaccine campaigns.

Currently, according to Crisisgroup.org, Myanmar has not announced any new policies regarding citizenship for the Rohingya group. Aside from legal citizenship, there is also a demand for the promise of safety and livelihood if repatriation ever occurs. Xenophobia and discrimination against the Rohingya are deep-rooted in Myanmar’s history. As stated before, this issue can be traced back to Britain’s colonization. Even if repatriation takes place with legal citizenship provided, Rohingya will still be at risk of persecution from xenophobia can not easily be undone. 

Simply put, Rohingya should not be repatriated. Their refugee situation in Bangladesh doubtlessly contributes to its own issues such as overpopulation and health concerns. But when compared to Myanmar with its deep-rooted history of xenophobia, a path possibly leading to a safer future for the Rohingya would most definitely be in Bangladesh.