By Daily Touch Insights Editorial Team
Editorial Team
View Journalist Profile
WORLD & HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS — The Rohingya refugee crisis is entering another critical phase as Myanmar says it has verified more than 300,000 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh for possible repatriation. But verification alone does not solve the central problem: whether Myanmar can create conditions in which Rohingya can return safely, voluntarily and with their basic rights protected.
Myanmar said it had accepted more than 308,000 people from a list of 828,824 refugees submitted by Bangladesh, while rejecting more than 113,000 others. The announcement comes nearly nine years after the mass displacement of Rohingya from Myanmar's Rakhine State.
For Bangladesh, which continues to host more than one million Rohingya refugees, sustainable repatriation remains a major priority. But for the return process to succeed, the issue cannot be reduced to moving people across a border.
The real challenge is creating a Myanmar in which Rohingya can return without fear of persecution, renewed displacement or loss of their fundamental rights.
The Rohingya Have Been Displaced for Nearly Nine Years
The current crisis intensified in 2017, when a massive military crackdown in Myanmar's Rakhine State forced more than 700,000 Rohingya to flee into neighbouring Bangladesh.
Since then, large refugee communities have remained in Bangladesh, particularly in Cox's Bazar.
The prolonged displacement has created enormous humanitarian, economic and political pressures for Bangladesh while leaving Rohingya families living without a permanent solution.
The longer the crisis continues, the more difficult it becomes for refugees to rebuild normal lives.
Myanmar Says More Than 300,000 Have Been Verified
Myanmar's latest announcement represents one of the largest verification steps since previous repatriation efforts began.
According to reporting by The Associated Press, Bangladesh submitted information on 828,824 refugees. Myanmar said it had accepted 308,797 as former residents of Rakhine State, rejected 113,507 and identified another 4,241 as being linked to terrorism.
Verification could potentially remove one administrative obstacle to repatriation.
However, it does not answer the more difficult questions surrounding security, citizenship, freedom of movement, housing, livelihoods and protection from discrimination.
Those issues will ultimately determine whether a return is genuinely sustainable.
Verification Is Not the Same as Safe Repatriation
This distinction is critical.
A person can be officially verified as having previously lived in Myanmar without being guaranteed a safe future there.
For years, international organisations have emphasized that Rohingya repatriation must be voluntary, safe and dignified.
UNHCR has previously stated that responsibility for creating conditions conducive to safe and sustainable return rests with Myanmar authorities and that simply constructing physical infrastructure is not enough.
That principle remains central to any credible repatriation process.
Security Remains the Biggest Obstacle
Rakhine State is not currently a normal post-conflict environment.
Myanmar continues to experience a broader armed conflict following the 2021 military coup, while fighting involving the Arakan Army has significantly complicated the situation in Rakhine.
Recent investigations have documented serious abuses against civilians across Myanmar, including attacks, arbitrary detention, torture and other alleged violations by different armed actors.
That makes the question of where and under whose protection Rohingya would return especially important.
A repatriation programme cannot be considered successful simply because refugees physically cross back into Myanmar.
Citizenship Is One of the Central Issues
The Rohingya's legal status in Myanmar remains one of the most difficult issues in the crisis.
The country's citizenship framework has historically excluded large numbers of Rohingya from full citizenship, leaving many effectively stateless.
A 2026 UK government country-policy assessment notes that Rohingya are generally not recognised as citizens under Myanmar's citizenship system unless they can establish residence going back to before 1948, while discriminatory application of the 1982 Citizenship Law has contributed to their statelessness.
That creates a fundamental problem.
Returning people to Myanmar without addressing their legal status could leave them physically back in the country but still without the rights needed to live securely and independently.
Return Must Include Basic Rights
A sustainable return would require more than transportation from Bangladesh to Myanmar.
Rohingya families would need access to housing, education, healthcare, employment and freedom of movement.
They would also need protection against arbitrary detention, discrimination and renewed violence.
Property rights are another major issue because many Rohingya lost homes, land and possessions during their displacement.
Without a credible mechanism for restoring or compensating for lost property, return could leave families economically vulnerable from the moment they arrive.
Bangladesh Wants a Permanent Solution
Bangladesh has carried much of the humanitarian burden created by the crisis.
More than one million Rohingya refugees remain dependent on humanitarian assistance, while pressure on local communities and resources has continued to grow.
Bangladesh has repeatedly argued that safe, voluntary, dignified and permanent repatriation to Myanmar is the sustainable solution.
Officials have also warned that the prolonged crisis is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain without stronger international support.
For Dhaka, therefore, repatriation is not simply a diplomatic objective. It is also connected to the country's long-term humanitarian and economic stability.
Rohingya Refugees Also Need a Genuine Choice
Any repatriation process must take into account the wishes of the refugees themselves.
People who have spent years in Bangladesh need reliable information about conditions in their areas of origin before deciding whether to return.
They should not be pressured into returning because of deteriorating conditions in refugee camps, declining humanitarian assistance or political pressure.
A return can only be described as voluntary when refugees have a meaningful alternative to staying and can make an informed decision about their future.
Previous Repatriation Efforts Have Failed
The current situation is not the first attempt to restart Rohingya repatriation.
Previous initiatives failed to produce a large-scale return because refugees remained concerned about security, citizenship and their future in Myanmar.
Recent analysis has again warned that Myanmar's promises of repatriation have repeatedly failed to translate into actual implementation.
That history means the latest verification process should be viewed cautiously.
It is a step, but it is not yet proof that a durable solution has been achieved.
The International Community Has a Role
The Rohingya crisis cannot realistically be resolved through Bangladesh-Myanmar negotiations alone.
International organisations and governments have an important role in monitoring conditions, providing humanitarian assistance and supporting a credible return framework.
Independent monitoring would also be important during and after repatriation.
Returning refugees need confidence that their safety will not depend entirely on promises made before they cross the border.
Myanmar Must Address the Root Causes
A successful return requires addressing the reasons people fled in the first place.
If the underlying political and legal conditions remain unchanged, repatriation could become a temporary movement rather than a genuine solution.
The objective should therefore be more ambitious than simply reducing the number of refugees in Bangladesh.
The objective should be to create conditions in Myanmar where Rohingya can live with security, dignity and recognised rights.
Rakhine State Needs Stability
Economic and physical reconstruction will also be necessary.
Homes, schools, hospitals, roads and local economies in affected areas would need significant investment.
But rebuilding infrastructure without establishing security and political stability would not be enough.
Rakhine State needs an environment in which returning families can actually rebuild their lives rather than remain dependent on humanitarian camps or face another cycle of displacement.
The Risk of Premature Repatriation
The greatest danger is moving too quickly.
Returning refugees before adequate safeguards are in place could create a second humanitarian disaster.
Instead of solving the crisis, premature repatriation could simply transfer vulnerable people from refugee camps into another environment where their safety remains uncertain.
Recent analysis has continued to warn that conditions in Myanmar are not yet sufficient for a safe and sustainable return.
That is why speed should not be the primary measure of success.
A smaller return that is genuinely safe and sustainable would be more meaningful than a large return that later collapses.
Humanitarian Aid Remains Essential
Until conditions allow safe return, international assistance for Rohingya refugees remains necessary.
Food, healthcare, education, sanitation and protection services cannot simply disappear because governments are negotiating repatriation.
Humanitarian funding is particularly important as donor fatigue threatens to reduce the resources available to refugee communities.
A declining level of assistance could make an already difficult situation even more unstable.
The Crisis Is Also a Regional Security Issue
The consequences of the Rohingya crisis extend beyond Myanmar and Bangladesh.
Rohingya refugees have also sought safety in countries including Malaysia and Indonesia, sometimes using dangerous maritime routes.
Malaysia recently announced discussions involving the possible return of up to 5,000 Myanmar refugees, although questions remain about who would actually be included and whether return would be safe.
This demonstrates that the absence of a durable solution in Myanmar continues to create pressure across Southeast Asia.
What a Successful Return Would Look Like
A genuinely successful repatriation programme would need several conditions.
First, the return must be voluntary.
Second, refugees must be able to return to an environment that is physically safe.
Third, Rohingya must have meaningful protection of their legal and human rights.
Fourth, there must be credible arrangements for citizenship or secure legal status.
Fifth, returning families must have access to housing, education, healthcare, employment and freedom of movement.
Finally, independent organisations should be able to monitor the process and report violations.
The Real Test Is What Happens After Return
Governments often measure repatriation by counting how many people cross a border.
That is an incomplete measure.
The real test comes months and years later.
Can families remain safely in their communities?
Can children attend school?
Can adults work?
Can families recover property?
Can they move freely?
Do they have legal protection?
Can they live without fear of being displaced again?
If the answer to those questions is no, then repatriation has not solved the crisis.
Our Perspective
The latest verification process is potentially important, but it should not be confused with a complete solution.
Myanmar has reportedly verified more than 300,000 refugees, creating a possible administrative foundation for future returns. But the country still faces serious security problems, while the Rohingya's citizenship and rights remain unresolved.
The international community should therefore resist the temptation to judge success by speed or numbers.
The goal should not simply be to return Rohingya refugees to Myanmar. The goal should be to make it possible for them to return home and remain there safely, freely and with dignity.
Conclusion
The Rohingya crisis remains one of the world's most difficult displacement crises nearly nine years after hundreds of thousands fled Myanmar.
Myanmar's verification of more than 300,000 refugees represents a potentially important development, but verification is only one part of a much larger process.
For repatriation to become a genuine solution, Myanmar must address security, citizenship, freedom of movement, property rights, access to basic services and protection from discrimination and violence.
Bangladesh also needs continued international support while conditions for safe return are being established.
The path forward should be clear: Rohingya should be able to return home voluntarily, safely and with their fundamental rights protected — not simply be moved across a border.
