No Room to Expand Rohingya Camps: Home Minister Tells UNHCR Representative

The meeting focused on the acute funding crisis, the prolonged repatriation process, and the humanitarian challenges currently facing the refugee population.

Funding Crisis and International Support During the discussion, the Home Minister emphasized that while Bangladesh has provided shelter to the Rohingya on humanitarian grounds despite limited resources, the decline in international aid is now at an alarming level. He specifically noted the reduction in funding from the United States and urged the global community to increase humanitarian assistance.

No Expansion of Camps Responding to Ivo Freijsen’s concerns regarding the cramped and difficult living conditions within the camps, the Home Minister made it clear that expanding the current camp area is impossible given Bangladesh's geographical and socio-economic realities. He reiterated that a safe, dignified, and voluntary repatriation to Myanmar remains the only sustainable solution to this crisis. He urged the international community to take effective steps to relieve the immense burden on Bangladesh.

Geopolitical Shift and Global Attention The Minister also expressed concern that the Rohingya issue might be sidelined due to shifting global attention toward other major conflicts, such as the crises in Gaza and Ukraine. He requested the UN and UNHCR to play a more proactive and vocal role in keeping the Rohingya issue at the forefront of the international agenda.

During the meeting, Ivo Freijsen formally invited the Minister to the presentation of the "Joint Response Plan" scheduled for May 20. Senior officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs were also present during the session.