The Protracted Rohingya Refugee Crisis: A Growing Incertitude for Bangladesh, the Rohingyas, and the Regional Countries

Abstract

The protracted Rohingya refugee crisis is one of the most significant ongoing refugee crises in the world. The Rohingyas have been facing decades of discrimination, statelessness, and targeted violence in Myanmar which forced them to cross the Bangladeshi border to save lives. The Rohingyas entered into Bangladesh after violent attacks in 1978, 1991-1992, and 2016. The recent influx of Rohingya refugees in 2016 surpassed previous records, raising the number of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh to 1.2 million. This significant number of refugees has not only created a humanitarian crisis but also security risks. Though, the host country is getting humanitarian assistance from international communities to support the refugees the security risks are getting less attention. This study emphasizes the security aspects of this refugee crisis. It explains that the protracted Rohingya refugee crisis has created a multi-dimensional traditional and nontraditional security risks. The host country is at the risk of several national security issues and the Rohingyas are also facing a human security crisis. This crisis has also posed non-traditional security risks to the regional countries simultaneously. It also explains the necessity of immediate attention to resolve the crisis permanently by short-term and long-term measures.