Many Rohingya Refugees Die Seeking Asylum

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports on the conditions of Rohingya refugees seeking asylum or refuge between January 2022 and December 2023.

UNHCR's real-time data records 7,117 individuals undertaking sea voyages on 74 boats since January 2022. However, only 5,817 are recorded as having survived the landing.

A total of 573 people were reported missing or dead while seeking asylum. Furthermore, the status of 727 individuals remains unknown. Those with unknown status are presumed to have embarked on the journey, but there is no further information regarding their landing or any potential sea accidents.

This UNHCR data, compiled from various sources, counts Rohingya refugees undertaking sea voyages in Asia and the Pacific. These individuals, according to the UNHCR, are desperate and undertake perilous journeys, primarily originating from Bangladesh and Myanmar.

The UNHCR explains that the humanitarian situation in Myanmar has deteriorated since February 2021 due to escalating conflict and political upheaval. According to UN sources, approximately 1.5 million people were internally displaced within Myanmar as of November 1, 2022.

The UNHCR also states that, in addition to the increasing number of internally displaced persons in Myanmar, over 70,000 refugees are estimated to have sought refuge in neighboring countries since February 1, 2021.

UNHCR data shows that 1,094,198 Rohingya refugees and other stateless asylum seekers from Myanmar were recorded as of September 2023.

The largest number of Rohingya refugees are in Bangladesh, with 965,467 individuals, representing 88.2% of the total Rohingya refugees and asylum seekers from Myanmar.

Malaysia hosts the second largest number, with 105,762 people (9.7%), followed by India with 22,110 (2%).

Indonesia hosts the smallest number of Rohingya refugees, with 859 individuals (0.1%).