Dhaka: As the first phase of a potential repatriation got under way, Rohingya refugees stated on Monday that their citizenship and fundamental rights must be guaranteed before returning to Myanmar.
A military crackdown in 2017 forced the majority of the 1.2 million Rohingya people living in squalid camps in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar coastal district to flee violence and persecution.
As part of a pilot repatriation project that has been put off for years, a team from Myanmar arrived last week to check on Rohingya refugees living in camps in Bangladesh in preparation for their potential return.
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Of the more than 1,100 people who had been listed as potential returnees, 400 were expected to be given the go-ahead to return to their country. The remaining documents had already been remotely cleared by Myanmar authorities.
An 18-year-old Rohingya refugee in Cox's Bazar told Arab News, "I am willing to return to Myanmar if we are guaranteed citizenship and other associated rights, like freedom of movement.
The Rohingya are not acknowledged as an indigenous ethnic group in Myanmar. The majority had been left out of the 2014 census because they were no longer citizens of the country due to the 1982 Citizenship Law. The majority-Buddhist nation refers to members of the community as Bengalis, implying that they are from Bangladesh.
Rahman claimed, "Our homes were set on fire. "I still speak with some of my relatives who still reside in Rakhine almost daily. The situation in Rakhine is much better now, as they told me.
The centre of the issue was Rakhine State, one of Myanmar's poorest states.
Rahman's village is still deserted, but his relatives informed him that some public buildings, such as schools and hospitals, have been rebuilt in other areas.
Even with the ongoing verification process, a Bangladeshi foreign ministry official who wished to remain anonymous told Arab News that repatriation was still uncertain.
"At this time, it's challenging to give a specific timeline in this regard. According to the official, "We can say that both parties are trying to find solutions to the issues. The Myanmar delegation is anticipated to wrap up its mission on Tuesday.
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The verification of Rohingya refugees by Myanmar authorities "was going very slowly" for a very long time, the official said, adding that Myanmar officials now appeared "a little bit more responsive."
The UNHCR stated that the situation in Rakhine State was still "unfavourable for the sustainable return of Rohingya refugees."
The UNHCR claimed in a statement that it was "not involved in the discussions" of a potential repatriation of the Rohingya in Bangladesh to Myanmar, despite being aware of the project. It is believed that China mediated the bilateral repatriation between the two countries.
The UNHCR continued, "We reiterate that every refugee has a right to return to their home country based on a choice made in consultation with counsel, but that no refugee should be forced to do so.
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We would all likely go back to Myanmar if our rights were upheld because a refugee's life lacks dignity.