Rohingyas are not looking to stay forever in Bangladesh: Amy Pope

Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Amy Pope on Wednesday said making the Rohingyas more self-reliant with a much more comprehensive approach does not mean that they will stay in Bangladesh forever.

“I don't think this means that people will stay forever because what we have heard, especially from the Rohingya people, that they would love to go home. What we hear from the Rohingya is that if they could go home, they will go home. They are not looking to stay forever here in Bangladesh,” she told reporters at a press conference, noting that the needs in the camps are overwhelming.

Pope, who became Director General of the IOM on 1 October 2023, described the complex situation and said at this moment going home means risking their (Rohingyas) lives.

She said their goal has to be to come up with a much more comprehensive approach including investment and solutions for people within the camp with increased donor support so that they have more dignity and more self-reliance instead of their reliance on humanitarian aid only.

“Right now the communities are wholly reliant on humanitarian support. So our goal is to bring awareness to the situation to drive engagement with a wide range of donors not relying on the same ones, and to encourage them…,” Pope, the first woman to hold the post in IOM’s 73-year history, said.

She said they call upon all of the states who are involved in the peace negotiation process to continue to push for peace.

The IOM DG observed that humanitarian support is being stretched across multiple complex and multiple protracted conflicts and one of the best solutions is to increase their self-reliance.

“So our goal is to work with the host community to work with the host government to build self-reliance, particularly when we're in a state of a protracted conflict,” she said.

Responding to a question, Pope said it was very clear to her sitting down and listening to the refugees directly about what they had experienced that one of the most significant and growing issues is the security in the camps.

She said they heard from women and girls who are fearful at night that they might be sexually assaulted. “We've heard of families who are concerned about the safety of their children, whether they will be recruited by armed gangs or by other criminal actors. We heard from people who were concerned about abductions and very little resources in order to protect them. So this is a very fundamental fear.”

Pope said they know from their work around the world that having a safe and secure shelter is absolutely fundamental to enabling people to have more resilience in the face of enormous stress and enormous pressure.

“So between the security and the protection concerns, particularly for children, women and girls, that was overwhelmingly one of the most significant challenges that I took away after my visit,” she mentioned.

Pope said she did have a chance to meet with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and to speak directly to her about the situation.

“And what I found to be so interesting is that she has lived a story that is not so dissimilar from the refugees that we spoke to. She spoke to me about her own personal experience, where her own family members had been killed and her unique understanding of the challenges and the importance of providing hospitality to the rainbow people,” the DG said.

She said their job with their other partners within the UN community with an international community is to make sure the world stays focused on the issue and recognizes its regional importance.