1,000 Rohingyas could be sent abroad

The UN refugee agency UNHCR is trying to rehabilitate 1,000 Rohingya refugees to Canada, some other European countries and the USA from Bangladesh, officials of the UN refugee agency said.  

"The UNHCR has sought permission from the Bangladesh government to rehabilitate the 1,000 Rohingyas to other countries," Shinji Kubo, the agency's Bangladesh country representative, told BBC Bangla service yesterday.

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There are around 34,000 registered Rohingya refugees at two camps in Bangladesh, and the agency has selected 1,000 from them, said Kubo, adding that they have been working to this end for the last couple of years.            

He said some Rohingya refugees need emergency treatment, and it is not possible in this country. Besides, family members of some Rohingyas were already rehabilitated to different countries. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has selected the 1,000 refugees so that they can unite with their family members and those who need treatment get the facility.

Kubo said the UNHCR has to talk to the respective countries before rehabilitating them there. But prior to that, the agency has to take permission from Bangladesh so that it can start discussion with those countries about rehabilitation of Rohingya refugees. No refugees can leave Bangladesh without the government permission.

He, however, said there is a challenge and uncertainty of rehabilitating Rohingyas to other countries.

Earlier, in different times around 900 Rohingya refugees were rehabilitated to Canada, Australia and in the USA. But the Bangladesh government stopped the rehabilitation process in 2012.    

According to the Bangladesh government, around 70,000 Rohingyas entered the country from Myanmar's Rakhine state in the last four months due to oppression on them. Earlier, around three lakh more Rohingyas took shelter in Bangladesh.