Friday 15 / November / 2024
Dhaka: A total of 270,348 Rohingya refugees have been registered in the settlements of Bangladesh’s southern Cox’s Bazar district, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said on Friday.
“On average, over 4,000 refugees are being registered a day in the exercise, with the aim of concluding the registration of all those in the settlements late this year,” UNHCR said in a statement.
Filippo Grandi, UN high commissioner for refugees, during a recent visit to Cox’s Bazar said, "Having an identity is a basic human right. And remember: many of these people, all their life, did not have a proper identification. So, for them, it’s also an incredible step into a more dignified life.”
UNHCR and the Bangladesh authorities in recent months held meetings with leading Rohingya figures, such as imams, elders and teachers on registration process and its importance.
Many Rohingya have spent a lifetime without official identification, making the UNHCR's even more significant.
Despite living in Myanmar for generations they were not able to acquire formal citizenship and documentation that comes with this, leaving them stateless and deprived of basic rights.
According to the UNHCR , registration exercise improves the accuracy of data on refugees in Bangladesh, which will help authorities and humanitarian partners better understand the needs of the refugee population. It will also allow them to plan and target assistance more effectively, particularly for vulnerable groups such as children, women, and those with disabilities.
Refugees are registered using biodata and biometric data including fingerprints and iris scans, the UNHCR said in a press release. At the end of the process, refugees receive a plastic card that includes a photo and basic information. Cards are only given to refugees above the age of 12 but families also receive attestation showing the details of all family members.
All information on the documents are in English and Bengali and indicates Myanmar as the country of origin. The documents were developed in cooperation with the government of Bangladesh.
“They understand that this exercise has nothing to do with forcible return,” UNHCR registration officer Nurul Rochayati explains. "This exercise is to establish their protection in here, and to establish their right to return. They will return when they’re safe, in safety and dignity.”
The Rohingya, described by the UN as the world's most persecuted people, have faced heightened fears of attack since dozens were killed in communal violence in 2012.
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According to Amnesty International, more than 750,000 Rohingya refugees, mostly women and children, have fled Myanmar and crossed into Bangladesh after Myanmar forces launched a crackdown on the minority Muslim community in August 2017.
Since Aug. 25, 2017, nearly 24,000 Rohingya have been killed by Myanmar’s state forces, according to a report by the Ontario International Development Agency (OIDA).
More than 34,000 Rohingya were also thrown into fires, while over 114,000 others were beaten, said the report, titled "Forced Migration of Rohingya: The Untold Experience".
Over 115,000 Rohingya homes were burned down and 113,000 others vandalized, it added.
The UN has also documented mass killings – including of infants and young children – and brutal beatings and disappearances committed by Myanmar state forces.
In a report, UN investigators said such violations may have constituted crimes against humanity and genocidal intent.
