Rohingya Refugees and Security Threat to Local Residents: An Empirical Study at Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh

Rukhsana Siddiqua ,Anira Mohiuddin

doi:10.7176/jlpg/98-26

Abstract

Refugees have become one of the most debatable issue in this decade. Worldwide 22.5 million are count as refugees, where 84% were from developing countries. In 2017 near 1 million rohingya refugees have crossed the Myanmar border to save from crime against humanity. Different dimensions of refugee crisis now being studied by scholar on their victimization and needs. In international basis refugees creating major threat issue as terrorism, violent crime to petty crimes. This study has focused on exploring possible security threats that been created by the rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. Integrated Threat Theory (ITT) has been used from the criminological perspective to explain threat. Purely quantitative method used and primary data has been collected from local residents in Cox’s Bazar where refugees present. The main objective was to find the prevalence of threat within those areas. This study has tried to explore the different forms of security threat like threat to life and property, police secrecy, hostile & violent environment, crime involvement and residents victimized by rohingyas. Different types of crime threat as violent, petty, public order, drugs & arms and border security have been studied and compared crime of rohingya refugees with general police data. Additionally, association found in some socio demographic characteristics e.g. gender, place of living, religion, education with threat. Police capabilities to prevent crime related refugees has also linked. Finally, some recommendations are drawn from public and academic perspective. Keywords: Rohingya Refugee Crisis, Security Threat, Crime, Police Capabilities, Local Residents Acceptance. DOI: 10.7176/JLPG/98-26 Publication date: June 30th 2020

Highlights

Refugees became one of the most debatable talked topic in this decade
As like this study found that male was more prone to security threat where female opinion varies among other forms of threat
Threats that generally perceived by variables as behavior, prior victimizations, heard about victimization, police capabilities, with some crime indictors that perceived by locals

Summary

Introduction

Refugees became one of the most debatable talked topic in this decade. Millions of people have suffered as a victim of civil wars or internal security issues. The main origins of asylum seeking refugees are based during and after World War II Worldwide 22.5 million are count as refugees, where 84% were from developing countries. One in every 113 people on the planet is a refugee and one in every three (4.9 million people) being hosted by the world’s least developed countries (UNHCR Global Trends Report, 2018). The Rohingya are an ethnic group, the majority of whom are Muslim, who have lived for centuries in the majority Buddhist Myanmar. From the year 1960’s to ‘Operation Dragon King (1978), Operation Pyi Thaya

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