Poor conditions, no faith in the future and discrimination. Families from the Rohingyas group who are on the run are now worried that their children belong to a lost generation, as they have been systematically denied education in Bangladesh.
- The fact that children of Rohingya on the run risk becoming a lost generation is a real danger. The Bangladeshi government refuses to accept that Rohingya on the run will not be able to return to Myanmar in the near future and limit their lives by denying children the right to an equal education. Even those who have lived in Bangladesh for decades still cannot put their children in schools, or move freely, says Biraj Patnaik, at Amnesty in a press release.
The organization builds its conclusions on 97 interviews conducted by its employees in nine camps in the city of Cox's Bazar during the month of February this year.
"Pressed to the breaking point"The Bangladesh government points out that if the country offers the same education to refugees as to its own citizens, it will be seen as an encouragement to the refugees to stay in the country. It is therefore forbidden for schools to offer Rohingya children education.
- Many people we talked to had spent almost two years under provisional roofs over their heads that did not protect against floods and high temperatures. In addition to the daily challenges as a result of the poor conditions in the camps, people are being pushed to the breaking point because of the lack of opportunities and uncertainty for the future, says Biraj Patnaik.
Amnesty International is now calling on the rulers in Bangladesh to remove the restrictions that restrict refugees' rights and to ensure that the outside world supports the country in allowing Rohingya to rebuild their lives.