In late 2017, at the peak of a mass exodus of Rohingya Muslims into Bangladesh fleeing violence in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, Imran paid traffickers $4,720 to be smuggled into Malaysia in search of a better life. They tell friends and family to stay in Bangladesh, despite the hostile conditions there, and some are thinking of heading back. Only a third of the adult Rohingya in Malaysia are employed, the UNHCR estimates. A UNHCR survey of 245 Rohingya in Malaysia in mid-2018 found about a fifth had moderate to severe mental health symptoms associated with depression and PTSD. Rohingya interviewed by Reuters said they live in fear of arrest, detention and deportation as Malaysia has not ratified the UN Refugee Convention.

Source: bd News24 November 20, 2019 03:00 UTC