Bangladesh urged to strengthen refugee rights and protection by signing Refugee Convention

Statement by Wendy McCance, the Norwegian Refugee Council’s (NRC) country director in Bangladesh on the seven-year anniversary of the displacement of over 700,000 Rohingya in 2017:

“As the seven-year anniversary of the Rohingya humanitarian crisis approaches, we welcome the interim government’s pledge to continue supporting the more than 1 million Rohingya refugees currently sheltering in Cox’s Bazar. Bangladesh’s new political trajectory offers an opportunity for the country to become a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol. Accession to the Convention would enable the Government of Bangladesh to better provide international protection to refugees, facilitate improved mobilisation of international support and encourage more meaningful international sharing of the responsibilities for protecting refugees in Bangladesh.

“The current situation on the Myanmar-Bangladesh border, as fighting in Myanmar intensifies, is highly concerning. We are aware of reports of many communities being internally displaced in Myanmar, seeking safety and protection near the border with Bangladesh. We strongly encourage the interim government in Dhaka to allow safe passage and access to humanitarian assistance for people forced to flee conflict.

“Bangladesh deserves recognition for hosting one of the world’s largest refugee populations, which should inspire the international community to increase its support. We urge donors to ensure the provision of humanitarian assistance in refugee camps for all populations and to facilitate planning for durable solutions, including access to jobs, higher education, skills training and livelihoods. As the Rohingya in Bangladesh may not consider the current situation in Myanmar suitable for return now or in the near future, plans for repatriation must take care to uphold the key conditions of informed, safe and voluntary return.”

Notes to editors:

• In 2023, NRC Bangladesh reached 149,333 people through education, legal aid, shelter, and water and sanitation services in Cox’s Bazar, and extended support to 43,410 internally people displaced due to climate change.
• Bangladesh hosts 989,585 Rohingya refugees in some of the largest and most densely populated refugee camps in the world, according to the UN.
• The 2024 Joint Response Plan (JRP) for the Rohingya refugee response is 35 percent funded as of 31 July 2024, with USD 298.5 million received against the overall appeal of USD 852.4 million.
• Photos are available for free use here.

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

• NRC global media hotline: media@nrc.no, +47 905 62 329
• NRC Regional Media and Communications Adviser, Christian Jepsen: christian.jepsen@nrc.no, +254 706 248 391