Rohingya Refugees' Perspectives on Their Displacement in Bangladesh
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HPG Working Paper Rohingya refugees’ perspectives on their displacement in Bangladesh Uncertain futures Caitlin Wake, Veronique Barbelet and Marcus Skinner June 2019 About the authors Caitlin Wake is a Senior Research Officer with the Humanitarian Policy Group (HPG) at ODI. Veronique Barbelet is a Senior Research Fellow at HPG. Marcus Skinner is a Senior Policy Advisor at the International Rescue Committee (IRC). Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh who participated in this research and shared their perspectives on life in the camps and their hopes for the future. Thanks to Kai Hopkins and Ground Truth for carrying out the survey, and Ioannis Papasilekas and Paul Chamberlain at Xchange for their advice and assistance at various stages of the research. Thanks to Nabila and Tarequl Islam for translation and assistance with the fieldwork. We are grateful to the peer reviewers and Christina Bennett for helpful feedback on earlier versions of this report. The authors would also like to thank Matthew Foley for his expert editing of this report. Finally, thanks to Global Affairs Canada for their comments and their support to this research. This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Readers are encouraged to reproduce material for their own publications, as long as they are not being sold commercially. ODI requests due acknowledgement and a copy of the publication. For online use, we ask readers to link to the original resource on the ODI website. The views presented in this paper are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of ODI or our partners. Contents Acronyms v Executive summary 1 1 Introduction 4 1.1 Overview of the crisis 4 1.2 Methodology 5 1.3 Outline of the report 6 2 Political and policy context 8 3 Challenges and aspirations of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh 10 3.1 Challenges 10 3.2 Refugees’ goals and aspirations 13 3.3 Where refugees want to live in the medium and long term 14 3.4 Self-determination and the importance of engagement 16 4 Improving the lives of Rohingya refugees in the medium to long term 17 4.1 Rohingya refugees’ views on what would improve their lives 17 4.2 Livelihoods 18 5 Community leadership, participation and engagement 23 5.1 Community leadership 23 5.2 Refugee participation and engagement 25 6 Conclusion 27 References 30 Humanitarian Policy Group iii Boxes and figures Boxes Box 1: Pervasive worry and uncertainty 13 Box 2: Who has a shop and what does it involve? 22 Box 3: Women in leadership roles 25 Figures Figure 1: Map of Cox’s Bazar refugee population as of January 2019 7 Figure 2: Where Rohingya refugees would want to live if they were not able to return to Myanmar in the next 5–10 years 15 Figure 3: If you were to stay in Bangladesh in the next 5 to 10 years, what are the top three things that would make your life better? 17 Figure 4: Which of the following sector would you like to work in? 20 Figure 5: If you had the right to work, what would be the greatest help to you? 21 iv Uncertain futures: Rohingya refugees’ perspectives on their displacement in Bangladesh Acronyms ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations BDT Bangladeshi Taka CiC Camp-in-Charge official CPA Comprehensive Plan of Action INGO international non-governmental organisation IOM International Organization for Migration IRC International Rescue Committee JRP Joint Response Plan NGO non-governmental organisation OCHA UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs OHCHR Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights RRRC Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner UNDP UN Development Programme UNHCR UN High Commissioner for Refugees WASH water, sanitation and hygiene Humanitarian Policy Group v Executive summary Bangladesh hosts over 900,000 Rohingya refugees, and future. Refugees identified their immediate concerns as their displacement is likely to be protracted (Wake and living conditions, lack of firewood or stoves, healthcare, Yu, 2018). Recognising the complexities and sheer scale water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) support and of the challenge of refugee hosting in Cox’s Bazar, as protection, inadequate food and insufficient supplies. well as other development challenges and opportunities Broader challenges include education, marriage and in Bangladesh, there is a need to explore better ways to livelihoods. Their responses indicated some clear goals accommodate the needs of Rohingya refugees and support and aspirations, including safe return to Myanmar when local communities in the medium term. Such discussions conditions are in place, access to education and a better and plans must take into account the views of the future for their children, improved living conditions and Rohingya themselves. While there is good understanding the ability and means to support themselves and their of the short-term needs of Rohingya refugees and their families. If they were to remain in Bangladesh, most perspectives, this does not appear to be informing refugees wanted to stay where they were currently living, planning for the medium term. This paper – based on preferring the status quo – even when it was difficult – to qualitative and quantitative research with Rohingya the uncertainty and risk of change. refugees in Bangladesh – provides insight into the current political and policy context, refugees’ challenges and aspirations, community engagement and what could Improving the lives of Rohingya improve refugees’ lives in the medium to long term. refugees in the medium to long term Political and policy context Refugees felt that their lives would first and foremost be improved through education, then better living The Government of Bangladesh’s position is driven conditions, then the ability to support themselves. primarily by its desire to maintain national and Most refugees we interviewed wanted to be able to international focus on return as the solution to the support themselves and their family through work, crisis, and hence on Myanmar’s responsibility to seeing it as a way to generate income and meet their create the conditions that allow this. With traditional needs, a way to be active rather than idly thinking durable solutions not an option, at least for the time about traumatic experiences and a way to protect being, dialogue with the Government of Bangladesh against inconsistent levels of aid and concerns that aid to secure a more sustainable response to the Rohingya would not continue indefinitely. While some refugees crisis continues. Work has begun to map the role the worked informally or volunteered, it is not legal international community could play in supporting such for refugees to work in Bangladesh, and barriers to a policy shift. It is important that dialogue around new generating an income included lack of opportunities, approaches maximises opportunities for learning from limited freedom of movement and old age or injury. previous efforts at international responsibility-sharing While the economic situation in the camps means in Jordan, Lebanon and Ethiopia. It is also critical that that more women have become breadwinners and are any medium-term response in Bangladesh is grounded undertaking non-traditional work, and it was evident in an understanding of what refugees and host that displacement had begun to change some minds communities believe is most important to them. about work and gender norms, both men and women preferred women to do home-based work. Findings from interviews indicated that, of the many refugees Challenges and aspirations of who did want to work, they primarily wanted to do home-based work (such as sewing), start or expand a Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh business or work for a non-governmental organisation (NGO). These findings have implications for the type While the focus of this research was on the next 5–10 of response needed in Bangladesh: one that combines years, it is clear that, if the day-to-day challenges refugees market-based opportunities, educational opportunities face are not addressed, they will continue into the and vocational training. Humanitarian Policy Group 1 Community leadership, Recommendation 2: Effective communication and engagement of refugees participation and engagement Clear communication with refugees about their options and the intentions of the Government of Generally, the research found that refugees Bangladesh would help ease anxiety and tension. participated in and engaged on issues such as short- Immediate action could include strengthening term needs and assistance, but not on medium- to current communication strategies on humanitarian long-term needs, aspirations and plans. The research aid to incorporate more information on medium- found Rohingya leadership groups had a similar term issues, as well as clearer engagement on outlook to individual refugees on what is needed government positions. This would need action from to support refugees in the medium to long term. humanitarian organisations present in the camps However, the relationship between refugees and already engaging with refugees on short-term needs, leadership groups was characterised by a lack of trust, as well as in discussion with the government. Future and leadership groups were not always considered plans for relocation or voluntary return will need legitimate by individual refugees. Community to involve careful community consultation based on leadership among Rohingya refugees is fragmented an understanding of the Rohingyas’ desire not to and seems increasingly marked by competition