Bangladesh

Working environment     

• In 2015, UNHCR’s access was limited to a small number of urban refugees, as well as those registered in the official refugee camps. 
• The Office did not have access to ensure protection and assistance for the 300,000 to 500,000 unregistered refugees from Myanmar residing outside the camps in Cox’s Bazar and neighboring districts, as well as in makeshift sites adjacent to the official camps. 
• Protest strikes during the first quarter of 2015 and the random killings of two expatriates in 2015 disrupted UNHCR’s access to the refugee camps. 
• Access to formal education, employment and livelihood opportunities, as well as other durable solutions for refugees remained limited. 

Population trends     

• The number of people of concern in urban areas decreased from 117 individuals to 79 by year end due to spontaneous departures.
• The total number of registered refugees in the camps remained unchanged. 

Achievements and impact

• Elections in Kutupalong camp were held in an inclusive and participatory manner, allowing all refugees of 18 years of age and above to cast their votes. 
• The operation increased its protection presence in the camps to attend to any case or problem. 
• Following continuous advocacy efforts by UNHCR, the Government of Bangladesh approved the issuance of national birth certificates online. 
• A mechanism to respond to domestic violence in the camps was developed by UNHCR. A gender survey was carried out in both camps to better understand the attitudes and practices, as well as to address the root causes of SGBV.

Unmet needs    

• Many of the needs relating to shelter and infrastructure remained unaddressed. Camp infrastructure in particular required major renovation as some structures are over 10 years old. 
• Water resources in Nayapara camp were scarce, and consequently, water access remained below UNHCR’s standards.
• The education sector continued to face challenges due to the lack of qualified teachers and the low remuneration given to Bangladeshi national teachers.
• Refugees residing in the camps were exposed to high risks of SGBV; their situation of protracted displacement is likely to continue, as foreseeable solutions have yet to be identified. 

Working environment

UNHCR in Bangladesh works to ensure the protection of registered refugees from Myanmar residing in the two official camps, Nayapara and Kutupalong, in Cox’s Bazar district, pending a durable solution for them. 

Bangladesh is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and there is no national legal framework for the provision of asylum. In early 2014, the Government announced its new national strategy for Myanmar refugees and ‘undocumented’ nationals, acknowledging their humanitarian needs. UNHCR anticipates that this development will enable the ‘undocumented’ Myanmar nationals who have resided in the country for several years, but without any legal status, to access international protection. 

In the absence of a national asylum system, the Office conducts refugee status determination (RSD) for asylum-seekers in urban areas. UNHCR provides protection for refugees in need, and supports their capacity for self-reliance, pending any durable solutions. 

UNHCR also monitors the needs of populations who are at risk of statelessness. 

Needs and strategies

UNHCR’s main goal is to assure adequate assistance and protection for the 32,000 registered refugees in the camps, in partnership with the Government of Bangladesh, and to work towards a durable solution for refugees who have fled Myanmar.

Currently, UNHCR has a two-fold approach, consisting of advocacy for increased protection space and improved assistance for the registered refugees to help achieve dignified living conditions by 2017. It plans to implement this approach by increasing self-management, expanding self-reliance, improving access to justice, providing primary and secondary education, improving accommodation infrastructure, enhancing women’s empowerment, strengthening child protection and SGBV mechanisms, and building the capacity of key stakeholders, alongside a resumption of the resettlement programme for registered refugees living in the camps.

Secondly, for the 200,000 ‘undocumented’ Myanmar nationals who have no legal status, access to justice or essential services, UNHCR anticipates that the new national strategy will provide protection safeguards and assistance through essential services. To achieve these objectives, pending a durable solution, the Office will work with different stakeholders.