BD initiative to list unregistered Rohingyas hailed

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has welcomed the Bangladesh government’s initiative to ‘list’ an estimated 200,000 to 500,000 unregistered Rohingya in Bangladesh. ‘We hope the exercise will be carried out in accordance with international standards and that it’ll will result in access to documentation, assistance and justice for these groups living outside the camps,’ UNHCR spokesperson Adrian Edwards has said at a press briefing in Geneva. In Bangladesh, which has hosted Rohingya refugees for more than two decades, there have been several positive developments in the last year, the UN refugee agency observed. ‘Education was extended to middle school level (13-14 year-old children) in the two official camps hosting more than 30,000 Rohingya refugees. In addition, the government has also agreed to the improvement of services in the camps including shelter and livelihood opportunities,’ said the spokesperson, according to a news agency.