Myanmar’s military government has verified nearly 309,000 displaced people in camps in Bangladesh as former residents of troubled Rakhine State, but repatriation will proceed only after security conditions improve in the region, the foreign ministry said.
The ministry said in a statement over the weekend that 308,797 displaced people in Bangladesh had been verified as former Rakhine residents from 828,824 names submitted as of July 31, 2026. The verification represents a significant step in the process, but Myanmar has made clear that confirmation of eligibility does not mean that returns will begin immediately.
According to the United Nations, more than 700,000 Rohingya fled to neighbouring Bangladesh in 2017 following a crackdown by Myanmar security forces. Many more have continued to leave through uncertain sea and land journeys, adding to the long-running displacement crisis affecting the Rohingya population.
Myanmar said it had also identified 4,241 people on Bangladesh’s repatriation list as involved in terrorist activities. A further 113,507 people could not be verified, according to the foreign ministry.
The military government has linked any return programme directly to security conditions in Rakhine State. It says repatriation will begin only when the situation becomes more stable, reflecting the continuing conflict in the region.
Myanmar’s military is fighting the Arakan Army, an ethnic armed group based in Rakhine that has sought greater autonomy for the region. The conflict has complicated efforts to establish conditions for the return of Rohingya refugees and remains central to Myanmar’s position that security must improve before repatriation can proceed.
The military government also maintains that repatriation is strictly a bilateral matter with Bangladesh. Previous arrangements between the two countries have failed to produce returns. Myanmar said repatriation arrangements in 2018 and 2019 resulted in no returnees despite bilateral preparations.
The latest verification therefore comes against the background of repeated attempts to establish a mechanism for voluntary returns. While Myanmar has confirmed hundreds of thousands of people as former residents of Rakhine State, the government’s insistence on improved security leaves the timing of any actual repatriation uncertain.
The issue has also extended beyond Bangladesh. Myanmar agreed to take back 5,000 Rohingya asylum seekers from Malaysia, but Malaysia said the repatriation would not proceed if lives were at risk. The position reflects concerns surrounding the safety and conditions under which Rohingya could be returned to Myanmar.
For Bangladesh, the verification of 308,797 people provides a defined group of displaced people whom Myanmar recognises as former residents of Rakhine State, but the broader process remains dependent on security developments. With Myanmar continuing to fight the Arakan Army and more than 700,000 Rohingya having fled to Bangladesh since 2017, the prospects for large-scale repatriation remain closely tied to the stability of Rakhine State.
Myanmar’s latest statement thus signals progress in verifying names submitted by Bangladesh while maintaining the military government’s existing position that actual repatriation cannot begin until security conditions improve.
