UN rights chief: Rohingya repatriation plan violates international law News
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UN rights chief: Rohingya repatriation plan violates international law

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet called on the government of Bangladesh on Tuesday to halt plans to repatriate more than 2,200 Rohingya refugees to Myanmar, warning that their lives would be at “serious risk” and that the returns would violate international law.

“Forcibly expelling or returning refugees and asylum seekers to their home country would be a clear violation of the core legal principle of non-refoulement, which forbids repatriation where there are threats of persecution or serious risks to the life and physical integrity or liberty of the individuals,” Bachelet said.

Bachelet said her office continues to receive reports of ongoing rights violations against Rohingya remaining in northern Rakhine, including allegations of killings, disappearances and arbitrary arrests, as well as widespread restrictions on the rights to freedom of movement, health and education.

She called on the government of Myanmar to create positive conditions for return by addressing the root causes of the crisis in Rakhine state. She also appealed to the government of Bangladesh to ensure that any repatriation takes place in line with international standards of voluntariness, safety and dignity, with full transparency, and only when the conditions are right.