Finding a durable solution to Bangladesh’s Rohingya refugee problem: Policies, prospects and politics

Abstract

The article examines the traditional durable solutions to resolving the problem of the Rohingyas who crossed the Myanmar border during 2017–2018 and took refuge in Bangladesh. The article analyses the attitudes and behaviour of displaced Rohingyas and of Bangladesh, Myanmar and traditional settlement countries, as well as the hidden forces, including ethnoreligious factors, geo-strategic factors and public opinion, which impact the Rohingyas. It argues that finding durable solutions through repatriation, integration or resettlement of Rohingya refugees in their home, host and third countries respectively is almost unachievable. In line with the recent conceptualization of durable solutions by academics and practitioners, a context-specific solution is recommended for Rohingyas, combining national restoration of their civil and political rights in Myanmar, political and economic burden-sharing by prosperous countries and capacity-building of refugees to influence their own futures.