“We are alive, but have no life” Rohingya refugees, deprived of the prospects for a future

The document examines the systemic marginalization of Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, highlighting how the denial of formal education and legal employment pushes refugees toward desperate survival measures, including drug trafficking and hazardous migration. It critiques the Bangladeshi government's restrictive policies and the forced relocation to Bhasan Char, while calling for an inclusive, negotiated solution involving Myanmar, Bangladesh, and the refugees themselves.

• The Bangladeshi government imposes severe restrictions on Rohingya refugees, who are termed "Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals" rather than refugees because Bangladesh is not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention. Following a large-scale demonstration on 25 August 2019, the state increased surveillance, shut down internet access in camps for over a year, and limited NGO operations.
• Rohingya refugees face a critical lack of legal employment opportunities and are fully dependent on humanitarian rations. A policy implemented after August 2019 prohibited NGOs from paying refugees in cash for work, forcing many breadwinners into desperate financial situations.
• Economic desperation has driven some refugees into illegal activities, specifically acting as mules for methamphetamine (yaba) smuggling cartels operating between Myanmar and Bangladesh. This has led to extrajudicial killings by security forces and violent infighting between criminal gangs within the camps.
• Formal education is prohibited for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh to avoid creating incentives for further migration. While NGOs operate "temporary learning centers" with limited frameworks, community teachers often secretly teach the Myanmar curriculum in homes and mosques to prevent a "lost generation."
• There is significant fear and resistance regarding the government's relocation of refugees to Bhasan Char, a remote island. While the government claims it is an improvement, some refugees have described the facility as a prison where they have been attacked by police and security guards.

APA

Nilsen, M. (n.d.). “We are alive, but have no life” Rohingya refugees, deprived of the prospects for a future. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/f79214f5-0230-4670-b1ba-3882c1c5a0ca/We are alive but we have no life_book ch_Nilsen.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Nilsen, Marte. “We are alive, but have no life” Rohingya refugees, deprived of the prospects for a future. Peace Research Institute Oslo, n.d. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/f79214f5-0230-4670-b1ba-3882c1c5a0ca/We are alive but we have no life_book ch_Nilsen.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Nilsen |first1=Marte |title=“We are alive, but have no life” Rohingya refugees, deprived of the prospects for a future |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/f79214f5-0230-4670-b1ba-3882c1c5a0ca/We are alive but we have no life_book ch_Nilsen.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{nilsenndare, author = {Nilsen, Marte}, title = {{“We are alive, but have no life” Rohingya refugees, deprived of the prospects for a future}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/f79214f5-0230-4670-b1ba-3882c1c5a0ca/We are alive but we have no life_book ch_Nilsen.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }