Bangladesh Government Rejects Long-Term Stay for New Rohingya Arrivals

Photo: Collected

Arakan Now | 30 November 2025

Bangladesh has made it clear that it will not provide permanent shelter to the newly arrived Rohingyas, stressing that the country is already overburdened with nearly 1.2 million refugees who have lived here for about a decade.

An estimated 150,000 Rohingyas have crossed into Bangladesh in recent months, fleeing intensified fighting between the Arakan Army and Myanmar’s military junta in Rakhine State.

Unlike previous influxes, Dhaka has taken a stricter stance this time. Officials say the government does not intend to extend the same facilities offered to earlier Rohingya entrants, and its primary focus is on ensuring safe and swift repatriation.

Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) Mizanur Rahman told TIMES of Bangladesh, “Bangladesh will not allow any more permanent housing for these Rohingyas. Our focus is on their safe and early repatriation. The responsibility lies with the Arakan Army, whose actions forced these people to flee. If they are sincere about normalising the situation in Rakhine, they should begin by taking these 150,000 Rohingyas back immediately.”

Of the roughly 150,000 new arrivals, about 130,000 have already been registered—under a process notably different from that used in 2017.

Unlike earlier waves, whose biometric data included fingerprints and iris scans, this time only fingerprints were taken. Officials confirmed that these records are not being added to the main FDMN (Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals) database.

Authorities and aid agencies describe this system as a “limited-access registry”—intended solely to facilitate the distribution of food, medical care, and basic services, without offering any long-term recognition or rights.

“They are not part of the core Rohingya population,” one official said. “For Bangladesh, these 150,000 are temporary entrants who must be returned.”

The UN refugee agency, however, has requested land for temporary shelters.

“We have not received any response from the Bangladesh authorities,” said Marcel Colun, head of UNHCR’s sub-office in Cox’s Bazar. He noted that more than 2,000 shelters are needed to accommodate the new arrivals.

Officials insist the newcomers must be treated as temporary and repatriated “as soon as possible.”