Rohingya refugee assimilation in Bangladesh : a case study of Cox’s Bazar

Abstract

Refugees and forced migration are recurrent tragedies in today's world. Despite the efforts of international organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to address the global refugee crisis, there are obstacles to overcome and a negative attitude toward refugees among host nations. In most situations involving developing countries, host towns struggle to manage their populations and the influx of refugees. This thesis aims to look at the Rohingya refugee surge in Bangladesh. Bangladesh is a developing country reliant on international assistance to deal with the Rohingya influx in 2017.

With the influx of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, this paper demonstrates that the repatriation of Rohingya refugees after almost five years is no longer possible. Most refugees have a better chance of assimilating into the host society through marriage, work, and starting a business. Additionally, the Rohingya people have been arriving in the area for decades. The border between Myanmar and Bangladesh is easy to migrate to and fro and the cultures and characteristics of the people in Rakhine and Cox's Bazar are similar.

To establish that assimilation is more probable than the repatriation of the refugees, this paper gathers historical background to help understand the relationship between the Rohingyas and Bangladesh as the host nation. Then the paper tries to analyze the outcome of the crisis in the current scenario in the Cox's Bazar district with the help of theories and peer-reviewed research papers.