Our work in Bangladesh highlighted a number of human rights concerns which were documented in a five minute video to highlight the conditions faced by the 26,000 refugees, many of whom have spent over 16 years in the camps. These camps are considered some of the worst in the world.
A further aim of the visit was to assist the UNHCR to refine and develop tools they can use in the field to identify, out of a population who are all considered to be living in appalling situations, those that are most vulnerable. This includes women and children at risk, torture and trauma survivors, those with acute medical problems and elderly or disabled people without support. The aim is to ensure that UNHCR can better target appropriate responses to those who are most vulnerable.
Traditionally, one of the responses to those who are most vulnerable has been resettlement to a safe third country. UNHCR has now identified a small group of Rohingyan refugees at acute risk in Bangladesh and in need of resettlement.
Australia is a country that has a strong tradition of resettling vulnerable refugees identified by UNHCR. The current crisis in Darfur, ongoing violence in Iraq and political repression in Myanmar has led us to call on the Australian Government to increase its annual humanitarian quota for 2008-2009 from 13,000 to 20,000 places.
Please join us in requesting the Australian Government to increase its annual quota, including taking in vulnerable refugees, particularly women-at-risk, from the appalling camps in Bangladesh.
Find out more
Dr Graham Thom reports on the plight of 26,000 stateless Rohingya who have been trapped in refugee camps for 16 years: Caught between two tigers.
Share