688,000 Rohingyas enter Bangladesh in 6 months: IOM

The number Rohingya arrivals from Myanmar to Bangladesh since August 25 last year now stands at 688,000, reports UNB.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) quoting its ‘Needs and Population Monitoring (NPM) Baseline survey’ came up with the figure on Monday.

The IOM also said Rohingyas are still coming despite a repatriation plan is in progress between the two countries.

The UN migration agency, however, said the increase in the number is not as a result of a significant influx, but due to strengthened assessments.

The report was produced by the Inter Sector Coordination Group (ISCG) in collaboration with humanitarian partners that covered 15-20 January period.

The UNHCR Family Counting and NPM will continue to monitor and triangulate the population figures and report independently based on their individual methodology.

On 16 January, Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a document on ‘Physical Arrangement’ which will facilitate return of Rohingays to their homeland from Bangladesh.

The ‘Physical Arrangement’ stipulates that the repatriation would be completed preferably within two years from the commencement of repatriation.

Foreign ministry officials in Dhaka said verification and return of Rohingyas will be based on considering the family as a unit and Bangladesh and Myanmar also finalised the ‘form’ for verification.

“The verification form will be distributed among all Rohingya families. The forms will be then handed over to Myanmar authority for scrutiny. Myanmar will send back the forms to Bangladesh after scrutiny,” an official told UNB indicating that the full-scale repatriation might take some time.

Each Rohingya family members will have to provide a number of information including names, gender, birthplace, name of mother and father, date of birth, address in Myanmar, profession, signs, number of family members and a group family photo.