Rohingya Resettlement to United States a Welcome and Significant Step

By Daniel P. Sullivan | December 8, 2022

Please see below statement from Refugees International Director for Africa, Asia, and the Middle East Daniel P. Sullivan:

“The U.S. announcement of a resettlement program for Rohingya from Bangladesh is a welcome and highly significant step toward addressing the Rohingya crisis.

While the initial reported numbers are low, the significance of a door opening cannot be underestimated. Nor should we underestimate the meaning of this new measure to the individual lives of the most vulnerable Rohingya who will now have a chance for safety and a new life.

Refugees International has recommended that the United States offer to resettle at least 50,000 Rohingya from Bangladesh and elsewhere in the region in the coming year. This announcement should serve as a catalyst for further resettlement offers from the United States and other countries.

The longer-term solutions to the Rohingya crisis will require, foremost, increased global pressure on Myanmar’s military junta to create the conditions for Rohingya to return to their homeland. Until that time, refugees in Bangladesh must be empowered, including through expansion of emerging opportunities to improve education and skills development.

Resettlement of the most vulnerable Rohingya is a small start to improving the lives of Rohingya, but perhaps the most impactful in the medium term, and certainly for the individual lives directly affected.”

Refugees International visited the refugee camps in Bangladesh in October 2022 and will soon be releasing a report on the current challenges and emerging solutions.

Cover Photo: A Rohingya refugee stands in the Hakinpara refugee camp near Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh on August 10, 2018. Photo Credit: ED JONES/AFP via Getty Images.