UK Report Warns of Systematic Persecution of Rohingya, Details Dire Conditions

UK Report Warns of Systematic Persecution of Rohingya, Details Dire Conditions
——————————
A recent report issued by the UK Home Office has warned that the Rohingya face systematic persecution in Myanmar and severe humanitarian hardship in Bangladesh, concluding that the abuses amount to persecution under international human rights and refugee law.

According to the report, an estimated 500,000 to 600,000 Rohingya remain in Myanmar, most of them in northern Rakhine State. They are denied citizenship and basic rights, including access to education, employment, and legal protection. The report cites ongoing threats from the military authorities and local militias, including enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, violence, and the forced recruitment of children into armed conflict.

The report also highlights deteriorating conditions in internal displacement camps within Rakhine State, where around 145,000 people live in overcrowded settlements with limited access to food, healthcare, and education, relying almost entirely on international aid. In Bangladesh, more than 1.3 million Rohingya refugees face strict legal restrictions on work and schooling, contributing to widespread poverty, malnutrition, and disease.

The Home Office report warns that continued conflict, lack of protection, and the absence of accountability make any return to Myanmar unsafe and unsustainable. It urges the international community to strengthen protection measures, expand humanitarian assistance, and pursue accountability for violations, describing the Rohingya crisis as one of the longest-running and most complex cases of persecution in the modern era.