Photo courtesy of Anadolu
Myanmar has acknowledged nearly 309,000 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh as former residents of Rakhine state, opening a possible path for their return once conditions in the area improve.
The Foreign Ministry said 308,975 displaced people had been verified as former residents of Rakhine, a notable step in years of stalled repatriation efforts involving Myanmar and Bangladesh.
Authorities said those verified could be accepted back when security conditions in Rakhine become more stable.
Past repatriation attempts had failed to produce large-scale returns, largely because of concerns over safety, citizenship and access to basic rights.
The process had also been complicated by continuing clashes between Myanmar’s military and the Arakan Army, which controls significant parts of Rakhine.
The Rohingya, a mostly Muslim minority, have faced decades of discrimination and statelessness in Myanmar. Large numbers fled after violent crackdowns beginning in 2017.
More than 1.3 million Rohingya are now in Bangladesh, while others have attempted dangerous sea crossings to countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia.
Bangladesh has maintained that any return must be voluntary, safe and sustainable, while Rohingya communities have continued to seek guarantees on citizenship, security and fundamental rights before going back.
