Human Trafficking and Crimes in the Rohingya Refugee Camps in Bangladesh

Abstract

The Rohingya refugee camps in Southern Bangladesh are facing a rapid rise in serious organized crimes across the Cox's Bazar (Bangladesh)/Rakhine (Myanmar) border. The recent uprise and demonstrations following the 2021 military coup in Myanmar are indulging development of greater cooperation between armed groups and state/non-state actors in Myanmar. If it continues, there are wider attendant risks of a deterioration in instability. These largely stem from conditions inside the camps and experiences of host communities around the camps. The humanitarian response has saved many lives, but the situation is still fragile as the Rohingyas remain extremely vulnerable socially, economically, and environmentally. Few primary issues spurring from the camps are due to lack of legitimate forms of employment for Rohingyas, coined with rising levels of violence (including sexual and gender-based violence) where lives of women and girls are monetized to traffickers across borders. Men and boys are also victims of both human and drugs trafficking.