- UNHCR stipend stopped, hardships increase
- Teen Rohingya refugee in Sri Lanka
- Resettlement uncertainty looms
Ohnmar, who is sixteen years old, has never before experienced the joys of school, the anticipation of playing with friends during recess, or the simple pleasure of a full meal.
Ohnmar, a Rohingya, was born “stateless” as Myanmar has not granted citizenship to Rohingya people since 1982. He has been a refugee since 2017, fleeing to Bangladesh with his family to escape the genocide by the Myanmar military against the Rohingya.
Two years later, his father died of illness. In December 2022, hoping to reach Indonesia by boat, the rest of his family fled a refugee camp in Bangladesh. During the dangerous journey, the boat’s engine failed, and his mother and three siblings died.
Ohnmar, along with nearly a hundred other survivors, was rescued by the Sri Lankan navy off the island’s northern coast. Since then, he has lived in Sri Lanka as his family’s sole survivor.
Currently, the teenager is living with other refugees without a guardian and mentioned it has been two days since he last had a proper meal.
After being released from detention following his rescue, Ohnmar received a monthly allowance from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for food and necessities.
However, since the UNHCR stopped the refugee allowance in December, Ohnmar often goes days without food, relying on meals from fellow refugees.
“Please help me move permanently to another country. Without help and destitute, I won’t survive,” Ohnmar told Al Jazeera from Panadura, a town 27 kilometres (17 miles) south of Colombo, the capital.
The Current Situation for Refugees
Hundreds of refugees, including Ohnmar, are in Sri Lanka hoping to resettle permanently elsewhere. However, they fear time is running out.
Sri Lanka is not a party to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention or its 1967 protocol and has no domestic law or framework for refugees or asylum seekers.
Thus, Sri Lanka has become a waiting place for refugees hoping for UNHCR’s assistance in relocating.
However, the UNHCR told Al Jazeera that its Colombo office is closing in December, as most internally displaced people from Sri Lanka’s long civil war have returned home.
“The phasing-out process will continue until the end of 2024, and from 2025, UNHCR will maintain a liaison presence in Sri Lanka,” said Liania Bianchi, a UNHCR spokesperson.
The UNHCR has been the only body in Sri Lanka that registered refugees, processed their resettlement applications, provided education scholarships for children, and gave monthly allowances based on individual needs.
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Refugees and asylum seekers fear they will be left in limbo once UNHCR ceases its operations. As of mid-2023, Sri Lanka hosted 567 refugees and 224 asylum seekers, mainly Pakistanis.
Many Pakistani refugees belong to the Ahmadi Muslim community, persecuted in Pakistan for being declared non-Muslims by law. Shia Muslims and Pakistani Christians also seek asylum.
Refugees in Sri Lanka have waited up to 15 years for asylum. The UNHCR does not allow refugees to choose their resettlement country. They must wait for petitions to be accepted by willing countries.
