Neelam Rahim / neelam@radioislam.co.za

2 min read
28 January 2023 / 19:02 pm CAT

Photo Credit: Reuters

In early January, a boat with 185 Rohingya refugees washed ashore on the coast of Indonesia’s Aceh province. They had spent weeks at sea in desperate conditions, fleeing cramped and overcrowded camps in Bangladesh in search of a better life. More than half were women and children.

In an interview with Radio Islam International, Shabnam Mayet of Protect the Rohingya gives insight into the desperation that leads people to flee.

The Rohingya in Bangladesh have very few livelihood opportunities. Last week the arms police Italian of Bangladesh came under fire from the Human Rights Watch and other organisations, saying they are extorting and abusing refugees in the camp. The camps in Bangladesh, being fenced in, have brought more desperation into the lives of the Rohingya, causing them to flee, as per Mayet.

Meanwhile, the Bangladeshi government says they do not want to take in more refugees and have started talks this year about repatriation.

“The welcome is slowly fading,” she says.

Listen to the interview with Moulana Sulaimaan Ravat and Shabnum Mayet on Radio Islam’s podcast.