To ask Her Majesty's Government, in relation to plans to return the Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh to Burma, (1) how many refugees they estimate will be affected; (2) when the plans will be implemented; and (3) what assessment have they made of the legality of these arrangements under international law governing the protection of refugees.
Answered on
30 January 2018
More than 655,000 refugees have arrived in Bangladesh since August 2017, and approximately 100 Rohingya are still crossing per day. The governments of Bangladesh and Burma announced on January 15th all these refugees would be repatriated within two years, initially at a rate of 1,500 per week. The UK's position is that any returns must be done voluntarily, in safety and with dignity, and people must be well informed. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees has stated the necessary conditions for returns are not in place, and the UK continues to push both governments to ensure returns are in line with international law.