The United Nations Resident Representative to Sri Lanka, Marc-André Franche, has voiced concern over the continued detention of a group of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar in Sri Lanka.
In a statement, Franche noted that in December 2024, a group of 116 Rohingyas had arrived in Sri Lanka by sea and have since remained in detention in Mullaitivu.
While commending the Government and the Sri Lanka Navy for rescuing the refugees and providing humanitarian assistance, he urged the authorities to grant the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) access in line with Sri Lanka’s long-standing agreement, and to proceed with their registration.
“The UNHCR has reiterated its offer to proceed with registration so they can be released from detention. As underlined to the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and in keeping with the call of the United Nations Secretary-General to continue protecting the Rohingya people, we recall that prolonged detention infringes their rights and is an obstacle to durable solutions,” he said.
Franche further observed that as the UN marks eight years since the forced mass displacement from Myanmar’s Rakhine State, Rohingya communities both inside and outside the country are facing an even greater deterioration of already dire circumstances.
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