List of more than 3,000 expatriates sent back to Bangladesh

09 Nov 2019

Myat Win Kyaw | DMG
9 November, Yangon

A press release issued on 8 November stated that after close inspection of a list of 3,450 expatriates taking shelter in Bangladesh, Myanmar has sent expatriates back to Bangladesh.

The Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population compiled lists of village residents that were under investigation and returned questionable people to Bangladesh. So far, the ministry has returned the compiled list of 3,450 expatriates for the seventh time.

Bangladeshi authorities handed over the list of more than 20,000 expatriates to a Myanmar delegation at the third meeting on repatriation held in Dhaka, Bangladesh in October 2018.

The Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population has scrutinized a total of 20,963 expatriates till 1 November 2019, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

So, the list of more than 20,000 expatriates sent by Bangladesh has been inspected.

The United Nations released a statement saying that the ARSA terrorist group committed attacks in Maungdaw region in 2017. Myanmar security forces responded with counter-attacks. In the incidents, more than 700,000 persons residing in the region fled to Bangladesh.

The Myanmar government said efforts are being made for implementing a safe and secure process for expatriates in accordance with the bilateral agreement signed with the Bangladeshi government.

Although arrangements were made in November 2018 and August 2019 to repatriate the expatriates under the agreement of both countries, no expatriate has returned home.

However, more than 400 persons have returned home from other countries on their own accord.