Community leadership, participation and engagement Generally, the research found that refugees participated in and engaged on issues such as shortterm needs and assistance, but not on medium- to long-term needs, aspirations and plans. The research found Rohingya leadership groups had a similar outlook to individual refugees on what is needed to support refugees in the medium to long term. However, the relationship between refugees and leadership groups was characterised by a lack of trust, and leadership groups were not always considered legitimate by individual refugees. Community leadership among Rohingya refugees is fragmented and seems increasingly marked by competition and conflict between civil society groups. As a result, engaging with Rohingya refugees and ensuring that their perspectives are represented in higherlevel policy dialogues is challenging. The top-down nature of community leadership, whether through the formal majhi system or through more grass roots groups that may not always be representative of the wider community, may explain or have contributed to a general sense of disengagement or a lack of participation by individual refugees we interviewed. While one avenue for supporting more effective engagement could be through ‘engineering’ a less fragmented and healthier civil society dynamic among refugees, our evidence calls for more investment in gathering individual perspectives as a way to represent diverse perspectives. Recommendations In order to ensure that refugee perspectives are integrated in future policy discussions on their future, and based on the findings of this research, the study recommends the following in Bangladesh: Recommendation 1: Continue to press for adequate levels of funding to improve living conditions in camps for Rohingya refugees As displacement becomes protracted and funding declines, the situation facing Rohingya refugees in camps in Cox’s Bazar could quickly worsen, and could be used to motivate premature return. Instead, responses should look historically at the importance of maintaining adequate conditions in the camps, including improving the provision of basic services (shelter, WASH, healthcare), and improving community representation and social cohesion (as outlined below). 2 Recommendation 2: Effective communication and engagement of refugees Clear communication with refugees about their options and the intentions of the Government of Bangladesh would help ease anxiety and tension. Immediate action could include strengthening current communication strategies on humanitarian aid to incorporate more information on mediumterm issues, as well as clearer engagement on government positions. This would need action from humanitarian organisations present in the camps already engaging with refugees on short-term needs, as well as in discussion with the government. Future plans for relocation or voluntary return will need to involve careful community consultation based on an understanding of the Rohingyas’ desire not to be uprooted again. Communication and community engagement should as far as possible be face-to-face; household visits in particular would reach women who may not leave their homes. Recommendation 3: Continue with surveys on medium-term aspirations and support The international community, in particular stakeholders involved in discussing solutions to the Rohingya crisis, should continue surveying refugees’ medium- to long-term aspirations, support and needs. Representative quantitative surveys should be accompanied by qualitative methods. Based on the evidence gathered in this study, individual interviews with refugees in their homes would best ensure that refugees’ views are gathered in ways that fit with their preferences. Such research and gathering of perspectives should seek to encapsulate the views of host and affected Bangladeshi communities, to ensure that policy changes also address their grievances. Quantitative and qualitative work is needed to ensure that women are engaged, and their voice, priorities and potential are well represented. Recommendation 4: Improve community engagement, community relationships and camp governance While individual engagement is refugees’ preferred approach, it is also a symptom of the fragmentation of community life and leadership. Further study and effort should be geared towards identifying opportunities to build trust among refugees, and between refugees and leadership structures, including through increased refugee representation and strengthened accountability and oversight mechanisms for existing governance structures. Community engagement should be structured in a way that ensures participation and representation (in particular women’s perspectives) and empowers the Rohingya Uncertain futures: Rohingya refugees’ perspectives on their displacement in Bangladesh