Nationality crisis and Rights of Rohingya Refugee Children: A Sociological Analysis of Children’s Rights in Bangladesh

Abstract

The refugee population in South Asia constitutes roughly about 14 percent of the world’s total refugees. The refugee flows are caused by a complex interaction of political, economic and social forces shaped by both indigenous condition and external pressures. Some refugees are tolerated or ignored; others are allowed to remain on humanitarian grounds. Some are stateless, denied the protection afforded by citizenship. Many are regarded by the host governments simply as illegal aliens. Bangladesh has a long story of hosting Rohingya from the Northern Rakhaine state of Myanmar. Presently, there are two Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh situated in Cox’s Bazar. Registered Rohingyas are living in these camps. In addition, there are many unregistered Rohingyas who are living outside the camp illegally. Bangladesh is a developing country with huge population. It is very difficult to host this Rohingya population for a country like Bangladesh. The exodus of Rohingyas to Bangladesh is caused by existing racial conflict in Myanmar that snatches away their citizenship status. For this reason, they are taking refugee status in Bangladesh .They do not have any fixed identity as well as nationality both in host country (Bangladesh) and their country of origin (Myanmar). As a result, Rohingyas and their children are not having basic rights to live their livelihood. In this context, this study is an initiative to explore the nationality crisis and the violation of children’s rights associated with this issue.