An Agenda for a Dignified and Sustainable Rohingya Refugee Response in Bangladesh 2.1 Rohingya refugee movements into Bangladesh Bangladesh has been hosting Rohingya refugees since the 1970s. The country has received large numbers of Rohingya refugees in three phases. First phase (1978): Bangladesh welcomed more than 200,000 Rohingya refugees in 1978 who fled targeted violence by the Myanmar military and provided temporary shelter and support to them. Most of the refugees were repatriated to Myanmar within a short time. Refugees were not consulted prior to repatriation, which was met with strong resistance and resulted in intimidation and withdrawal of food rations from the camps. It is estimated that some 10,000 Rohingya refugees died from malnutrition and illness by the end of 1978.14 Despite these coercive measures, repatriation continued in contravention of the principle of voluntariness.15 Second phase (1991-92): More than 250,000 Rohingya refugees were forced to flee Myanmar due to serious state repression. These refugees were temporarily accommodated in 20 camps in Cox’s Bazar while efforts continued to return them to Myanmar. Since 1992, the Government of Bangladesh refused to recognise further Rohingya refugee arrivals and UNHCR was no longer allowed to register them. Only two registered camps in Kutapalong and Nayapara with some 25,000 refugees were allowed to operate under UNHCR administration. As of December 2020, the number of registered refugees in these two camps has grown to 35,519.16 In addition, the Government of Bangladesh estimated that there were 300,000-500,000 unregistered Rohingya living in the vicinity of the registered camps in Cox’s Bazar as well as in neighbouring districts.17 Between 1993-1997, some 230,000 refugees were returned to Myanmar amidst allegations of forced returns.18 Between 19932016, as the levels of violence and oppression against them continued to intensify in Myanmar19, Rohingya refugees continued to flee in smaller numbers but Bangladesh adopted a pushback policy towards them. Third phase (2016-17): Since 2012, the conditions in Rakhine State began to deteriorate following inter-communal violence between Rohingya and other groups. More than 100,000 Rohingya were internally displaced within Myanmar at the time. The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), a Rohingya insurgent group, was reportedly formed in Myanmar after the incidents of 2012. In October 2016, there was an upsurge in violence in Rakhine State when ARSA reportedly attacked border posts 14 Katy Long, Back to where you once belonged: A historical review of UNHCR policy and practice on refugee repatriation, UNHCR PDES, September 2013, p.8 available at https://www.refworld.org/pdfid/5226d8f44.pdf 15 The principle of voluntariness is the cornerstone of international protection with respect to the return of refugees. The principle of "voluntariness" must be viewed in relation to both: conditions in the country of origin (calling for an informed decision); and the situation in the country of asylum (permitting a free choice). See, Handbook - Voluntary Repatriation: International Protection, UNHCR, January 1996, available at https://www.unhcr.org/uk/3bfe68d32.pdf 16UNHCR, Rohingya Refugee Response Protection Factsheet, December 2020, available at https://data2.unhcr.org/en/documents/details/84918 17 UNHCR, Bangladesh Factsheet, March 2017, available at https://www.unhcr.org/50001ae09.pdf 18 For details, see, CR Abrar, Repatriation of Rohingya Refugees, available at http://www.netipr.org/policy/downloads/19970101-Repatriation-Of-Rohingyas-Abrar.pdf 19 Sultana Yesmin, Policy Towards Rohingya Refugees: Comparative Analysis of Bangladesh, Malaysia and Thailand, Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh (Hum.), Vol. 61(1), 2016, pp. 71-100, p. 81, available at http://cgsdu.org/wpcontent/uploads/2019/03/4-H_883.pdf 12 Act for Peace / May 2021