1804 Rohingyas moved to a new home

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Bangladesh has moved a second group of Rohingya’s from overcrowded refugee camps to a new home on a remote island on Tuesday. Human rights organisations are still very concerned about the new location, as it would be very vulnerable to storms.

The Navy brought 1,804 Rohingya’s, a Muslim minority, to the island of Bhasan Char on Tuesday with five ships. The first group of 1,642 people was moved at the beginning of December.

Bhasan Char is seen by the government as a solution to the overcrowded refugee camps on the Myanmar border. More than a million Rohingya people live in the camps and have fled Myanmar because of violence against the ethnic minority.

According to the authorities, facilities have been built on Bhasan Char for some 100 000 refugees. In addition to houses, for example, a dike has been built to prevent floods.

Aid organisations are concerned about the location because the island in the Gulf of Bengal is prone to flooding. However, according to the authorities, the adjustments made to the island make it ‘perfectly safe’.

According to the government, the move is voluntary, but several refugees from the first group claim to have been forced. Amnesty International is questioning the movements due to the accusations made by the Rohingya community and a lack of transparency.

The United Nations claims not to have been involved in the relocation of the Rohingyas, but calls on the government to ensure that no refugee is forced to move to the island of Bhasan Char.

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