By Marcia Vera Espinoza, Leila Hadj-Abdou, Leiza Brumat

The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) sets out a common, comprehensive approach to international migration. It aims at cooperation between states and promotes measures to strengthen regular migration pathways, to tackle irregular migration, and to protect human rights of migrants among other objectives. It is expected to be endorsed by the UN member states in mid-December in an intergovernmental conference in Marrakesh.

But it is also subject to growing controversy – and the number of countries opposing the pact is increasing almost daily. The Dominican Republic is the latest country to join Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Israel, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia in refusing to sign the document that they negotiated for 18 months.

The GCM is creating heated political tension in other countries, too. In Belgium, the government was even in danger of collapse over it. Italy and &nbsp;Estonia will not attend the conference. Switzerland, which led the negotiations as a co-facilitator, won’t back the GCM in Marrakesh either, instead of delaying the decision until a vote in parliament. The US quit negotiations early on, in December 2017, and was followed by Hungary seven months later.

So why have so many countries decided not to endorse the pact that they negotiated?

The GCM is a voluntary, non-binding document that introduces no additional obligations to states. It is a global agreement setting out a common framework, shared principles and best practices on international migration.

The GCM emerged, and has been negotiated, in parallel with the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) as a concrete commitment of the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 2016. In contrast to the GCM, the GCR has been widely supported so far by the international community, with the recent exception of the US.

The final draft of the GCM was approved in July 2018 by all UN member states – except the US and Hungary – with the aim of becoming the first global framework on migration. As one of the interviewees in our ongoing research project on global migration stated, the GCM is “an aspirational document” but “it doesn’t impose and it fully respects the sovereignty of states”.

Many analysts have recognised that the final text is far from perfect. Yet most agree about the significance of the negotiation for multilateralism and global cooperation.

Not wanting to look welcoming 
 
We can see four interrelated reasons that explain this growing opposition.

First, states with a restrictive migration agenda, such as Hungary, consider the symbolic act of approving the GCM as a sign that they are promoting migration. The regulation of migration is not only seen as a matter of laws, policies, and “border walls”, but also as a matter of communication. Some officials believe that if a country is perceived to be open towards immigration, it is providing incentives for migration, whereas harsh rhetoric is seen as a deterrent.

Such a perspective partly obscures the complexity and multifaceted reasons why people migrate. It is also unrealistic to believe that many would-be migrants closely follow the GCM process. But countries with a restrictive migration agenda don’t want to take any risks. Instead, their aim is to reaffirm their restrictive position by rejecting the GCM.

Second, while state officials are well aware that the GCM is non-binding, those that have rejected it fear it will turn into common practice, or even common law. In turn, advocates of the GCM have underlined that this is an inaccurate view. Its potential, though, lies somewhere in between. Some of our interviewees pointed out that, while not legally binding, it should be a politically guiding framework, which sets out ground rules for the long term.

Rights and the right-wing 
 
Third, some states that have rejected the GCM are especially worried about human rights references within the document. In their view, an emphasis on human rights contradicts what matters for them: securing borders.

The Hungarian government argued that applying a human rights perspective to border control measures is “an extremely dangerous approach”. This position is based on a hyper-securitised view of immigration, in which migrants are seen predominantly as a threat. A framework that includes human rights of migrants, such as the GCM, is seen as incompatible with effective border control.

Fourth, hostility to the GCM mirrors the growing influence of new far-right movements, especially in countries where radical right parties are in power or are prominent. Ideas and myths about the GCM that circulated on extreme right social media sites, are said to have influenced Austria’s decision to withdraw.

In Italy, there was little discussion of the GCM until recently. But the extreme right, most notably the Fratelli d’Italia, ultimately managed to put the issue on the country’s political agenda.

There is a common denominator here: the rise of “sovereignism” as a political ideology. This is defined by anti-migrant nativism, and the rejection of multilateralism and international institutions. The GCM touches upon both of these core issues.

The question is not whether the GCM will be adopted, as a large majority of the 193 UN states still endorse it. Rather it is over the impact it is likely to have, given that its upcoming adoption has already been overshadowed by political statements that contradict the solidarity and multilateral approach to international migration it aims to promote. 
 
(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/global-compact-for-migration-what-is-it-and-why-are-countries-opposing-it-106654">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

By Marcia Vera Espinoza, Leila Hadj-Abdou, Leiza Brumat The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) sets out a common, comprehensive approach to international migration.

By Marcia Vera Espinoza, Leila Hadj-Abdou, Leiza Brumat The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) sets out a common, comprehensive approach to international migration. It aims at cooperation between states and promotes measures to strengthen regular migration pathways, to tackle irregular migration, and to protect human rights of migrants among other objectives. It is expected to be endorsed by the UN member states in mid-December in an intergovernmental conference in Marrakesh. But it is also subject to growing controversy – and the number of countries opposing the pact is increasing almost daily. The Dominican Republic is the latest country to join Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Israel, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia in refusing to sign the document that they negotiated for 18 months. The GCM is creating heated political tension in other countries, too. In Belgium, the government was even in danger of collapse over it. Italy and Estonia will not attend the conference. Switzerland, which led the negotiations as a co-facilitator, won’t back the GCM in Marrakesh either, instead of delaying the decision until a vote in parliament. The US quit negotiations early on, in December 2017, and was followed by Hungary seven months later. So why have so many countries decided not to endorse the pact that they negotiated? The GCM is a voluntary, non-binding document that introduces no additional obligations to states. It is a global agreement setting out a common framework, shared principles and best practices on international migration. The GCM emerged, and has been negotiated, in parallel with the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) as a concrete commitment of the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 2016. In contrast to the GCM, the GCR has been widely supported so far by the international community, with the recent exception of the US. The final draft of the GCM was approved in July 2018 by all UN member states – except the US and Hungary – with the aim of becoming the first global framework on migration. As one of the interviewees in our ongoing research project on global migration stated, the GCM is “an aspirational document” but “it doesn’t impose and it fully respects the sovereignty of states”. Many analysts have recognised that the final text is far from perfect. Yet most agree about the significance of the negotiation for multilateralism and global cooperation. Not wanting to look welcoming We can see four interrelated reasons that explain this growing opposition. First, states with a restrictive migration agenda, such as Hungary, consider the symbolic act of approving the GCM as a sign that they are promoting migration. The regulation of migration is not only seen as a matter of laws, policies, and “border walls”, but also as a matter of communication. Some officials believe that if a country is perceived to be open towards immigration, it is providing incentives for migration, whereas harsh rhetoric is seen as a deterrent. Such a perspective partly obscures the complexity and multifaceted reasons why people migrate. It is also unrealistic to believe that many would-be migrants closely follow the GCM process. But countries with a restrictive migration agenda don’t want to take any risks. Instead, their aim is to reaffirm their restrictive position by rejecting the GCM. Second, while state officials are well aware that the GCM is non-binding, those that have rejected it fear it will turn into common practice, or even common law. In turn, advocates of the GCM have underlined that this is an inaccurate view. Its potential, though, lies somewhere in between. Some of our interviewees pointed out that, while not legally binding, it should be a politically guiding framework, which sets out ground rules for the long term. Rights and the right-wing Third, some states that have rejected the GCM are especially worried about human rights references within the document. In their view, an emphasis on human rights contradicts what matters for them: securing borders. The Hungarian government argued that applying a human rights perspective to border control measures is “an extremely dangerous approach”. This position is based on a hyper-securitised view of immigration, in which migrants are seen predominantly as a threat. A framework that includes human rights of migrants, such as the GCM, is seen as incompatible with effective border control. Fourth, hostility to the GCM mirrors the growing influence of new far-right movements, especially in countries where radical right parties are in power or are prominent. Ideas and myths about the GCM that circulated on extreme right social media sites, are said to have influenced Austria’s decision to withdraw. In Italy, there was little discussion of the GCM until recently. But the extreme right, most notably the Fratelli d’Italia, ultimately managed to put the issue on the country’s political agenda. There is a common denominator here: the rise of “sovereignism” as a political ideology. This is defined by anti-migrant nativism, and the rejection of multilateralism and international institutions. The GCM touches upon both of these core issues. The question is not whether the GCM will be adopted, as a large majority of the 193 UN states still endorse it. Rather it is over the impact it is likely to have, given that its upcoming adoption has already been overshadowed by political statements that contradict the solidarity and multilateral approach to international migration it aims to promote. (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Global Compact for Migration: Why are countries opposing it?

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani predicted a "deluge" of drugs, refugees and attacks on the West if <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/iran-seeks-regional-front-against-us-economic-terrorism-182445">US&nbsp;sanctions</a> weaken Iran's ability to contain them.

"I warn those who impose sanctions that if Iran's ability to fight drugs and terrorism are affected ... you will not be safe from a deluge of drugs, asylum seekers, bombs and terrorism," Rouhani said in a speech carried live on state television.

Separately, Foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was quoted as saying that the United States is selling more arms into the Middle East than the region needs, making it a "tinderbox".

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of a multilateral nuclear deal with Iran in May and reimposed sanctions on Iran’s vital oil industry last month.

Drug trafficking is a serious challenge for Iran as it borders Afghanistan - the world’s largest opium producer - and Pakistan, a major transit country for drugs.

"We spend $800 million a year to fight drugs which ensures the health of nations stretching from of Eastern Europe to the American West and North Africa to West Asia. Imagine what a disaster there would be if there is a breach in the dam," Rouhani said.

In 2012, Iran accounted for two thirds of the world’s opium seizures and one fourth of the world’s heroin and morphine seizures, a U.N. report published in 2014 showed.

"We have been just as determined in the fight against terrorism ... sacrificing hundreds of valuable troops and spending millions of dollars annually," Rouhani said.

"We don't expect the West to pay their share, but they should know that sanctions hurt Iran's capacity to fight drugs and terrorism," Rouhani added.

Iran, a key supporter of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria's civil war, has sent military advisers as well as materiel and regional Shi’ite militias to fight militant groups.

In Iraq, Iranian-backed militias and their Iranian advisers helped Iraq defeat Islamic State.

"Economic terrorism means creating horror in a country and create fear in other countries that intend to invest (there). America's withdrawal from the (nuclear accord) is undoubtedly a clear example of economic terrorism," Rouhani told a meeting of heads of parliaments of China, Russia, and four other countries.

More than 700,000 undocumented Afghans have returned from Iran this year as the Iranian economy tightens, according to data from the UN’s migration agency, and Iranian media said some Afghans were seeking to enter Turkey to reach Europe.&nbsp;

Zarif warned about the dangers of large U.S. arms sales in the Middle East, where Iran's regional rival Saudi Arabia is a major buyer of Western weapons.

"The Americans have turned the region into a tinderbox. The level of arms sales by the Americans is unbelievable and much beyond regional needs and this points to the very dangerous policies followed by the Americans," IRNA reported Zarif as saying.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani predicted a "deluge" of drugs, refugees and attacks on the West if US sanctions weaken Iran's ability to contain them. "I warn those who impose sanctions that if Iran's ability to fight drugs and terrorism are affected .

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani predicted a "deluge" of drugs, refugees and attacks on the West if US sanctions weaken Iran's ability to contain them. "I warn those who impose sanctions that if Iran's ability to fight drugs and terrorism are affected ... you will not be safe from a deluge of drugs, asylum seekers, bombs and terrorism," Rouhani said in a speech carried live on state television. Separately, Foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was quoted as saying that the United States is selling more arms into the Middle East than the region needs, making it a "tinderbox". US President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of a multilateral nuclear deal with Iran in May and reimposed sanctions on Iran’s vital oil industry last month. Drug trafficking is a serious challenge for Iran as it borders Afghanistan - the world’s largest opium producer - and Pakistan, a major transit country for drugs. "We spend $800 million a year to fight drugs which ensures the health of nations stretching from of Eastern Europe to the American West and North Africa to West Asia. Imagine what a disaster there would be if there is a breach in the dam," Rouhani said. In 2012, Iran accounted for two thirds of the world’s opium seizures and one fourth of the world’s heroin and morphine seizures, a U.N. report published in 2014 showed. "We have been just as determined in the fight against terrorism ... sacrificing hundreds of valuable troops and spending millions of dollars annually," Rouhani said. "We don't expect the West to pay their share, but they should know that sanctions hurt Iran's capacity to fight drugs and terrorism," Rouhani added. Iran, a key supporter of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria's civil war, has sent military advisers as well as materiel and regional Shi’ite militias to fight militant groups. In Iraq, Iranian-backed militias and their Iranian advisers helped Iraq defeat Islamic State. "Economic terrorism means creating horror in a country and create fear in other countries that intend to invest (there). America's withdrawal from the (nuclear accord) is undoubtedly a clear example of economic terrorism," Rouhani told a meeting of heads of parliaments of China, Russia, and four other countries. More than 700,000 undocumented Afghans have returned from Iran this year as the Iranian economy tightens, according to data from the UN’s migration agency, and Iranian media said some Afghans were seeking to enter Turkey to reach Europe. Zarif warned about the dangers of large U.S. arms sales in the Middle East, where Iran's regional rival Saudi Arabia is a major buyer of Western weapons. "The Americans have turned the region into a tinderbox. The level of arms sales by the Americans is unbelievable and much beyond regional needs and this points to the very dangerous policies followed by the Americans," IRNA reported Zarif as saying.

Iran's Rouhani predicts 'deluge' of drugs, refugees, attacks on West

The infamous migrant “caravan” comprised approximately 5,000 to 6,000 people from Central America when it finally concluded its slow six-week crawl to Tijuana, the Mexican border city just south of California.

At one point the caravan swelled to 7,000 people, but many of them succumbed to exhaustion, sleep and sickness along the way and chose to stay behind in Mexican towns; others turned back to their country of origin.

The hardest hit by these events are undoubtedly the children, unaware of the magnitude of their journey and unable to keep up with its physical requirements.

The photographs taken by journalists following the caravan have highlighted the plight of child migrants and their parents. The impact of the journey on migrant parent-child relationships has been less discussed.

As a clinical psychologist, my practice and research has demonstrated that refugee parents, such as these migrants, often exhibit symptoms of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that have profound effects on parenting.

Their emotionally distraught state can sometimes lead to overprotectiveness, harshness in parenting and even reversal of parent-child roles. Children in these circumstances are more likely to suffer from mental health problems.

Infections, dehydration, tear gas

The caravan formed in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, on October 13, nearly seven weeks ago. The 500 migrants who have been in the caravan from the beginning have marched a total of 4,000 blistering km on their way to Tijuana.

Along the way, migrants have suffered from fevers, eye infections, lice infestations, respiratory infections and dehydration.

As the city of Tijuana tries to accommodate thousands of migrants in temporary shelters, the crowded and unhygienic conditions only escalate health concerns. Children are more susceptible to diseases and tire out quicker, making this journey especially arduous for them.

This adds to the list of concerns their parents already have. The batons and tear gas that these migrants have faced at the United States border further adds to the stress of relocation.

Financial strife and marital discord

The biggest push factors for these asylum seekers are the corruption and poverty rampant in their countries. According to the World Bank, two-thirds of the population of Honduras lived in poverty in 2016. According to the CIA World Factbook, over 30 per cent of the population lived under the poverty line in El Salvador at the same time.

The signs of the migrants’ financial strife are evident. Migrant families have relied heavily on the generosity of strangers for food, shelter and transportation in the towns they have passed through. There is also the fact that people simply do not walk 4,000 km if they can travel the same distance in any other vehicle. In some cases, families have resorted to begging along the way for passage.

Financial stress tends to increase the likelihood of marital discord, which leads to criticism and anger between spouses.

Over time the strain on a marital relationship often spills over onto the parent-child relationship — leading to a marked reduction in nurturance, responsiveness to needs and consistency in parenting.

This can contribute to socio-emotional problems in children — such as low self-esteem, depression, drug use and other health problems.

Gang violence and dissociation

Due to widespread gang violence, El Salvador has the highest homicide rate in the world, followed in second place by Honduras, with Guatemala not too far behind.

Migrant families have reported fleeing their hometowns due to threats against their lives, or the lives of family members, if they did not join the local gang. Often, gangs also extort cuts of people’s already meagre livelihoods and threaten others with physical and sexual assault.

Research indicates that repetitive community violence exposure causes parents to feel hopeless, powerless and emotionally drained, leading to symptoms of depression, anxiety and PTSD.

Other fallouts include dissociation (feeling cut off from reality) and lower understanding of and tolerance towards their child’s psychological distress.

As a result, children are more likely to develop emotional difficulties, learn disengagement and form similar unhelpful coping mechanisms.

Need for social and emotional support 
 
Today in Tijuana, some asylum-seeking families await to be processed by authorities while others begin to settle into life in Mexico. Their parent-child relationships will be further tested and strained under the pressure of acculturation and other post-migration stressors.

This underlines the need for social and emotional support at the end of this journey, as well as efforts to help them rehabilitate into safer areas.

Childhood is already a delicate time for growth and development, even when good enough parenting and a stable, nurturing environment is available. A gruelling move to a strange and potentially hostile country obviously feels necessary for these migrant families — or they wouldn’t be on the move.

Given the life they are fleeing, an uncertain future in an idealised country eclipses certain desolation and death in their homelands. 
 
(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-challenge-of-parenting-in-a-migrant-caravan-107875">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

&nbsp;

The infamous migrant “caravan” comprised approximately 5,000 to 6,000 people from Central America when it finally concluded its slow six-week crawl to Tijuana, the Mexican border city just south of California.

The infamous migrant “caravan” comprised approximately 5,000 to 6,000 people from Central America when it finally concluded its slow six-week crawl to Tijuana, the Mexican border city just south of California. At one point the caravan swelled to 7,000 people, but many of them succumbed to exhaustion, sleep and sickness along the way and chose to stay behind in Mexican towns; others turned back to their country of origin. The hardest hit by these events are undoubtedly the children, unaware of the magnitude of their journey and unable to keep up with its physical requirements. The photographs taken by journalists following the caravan have highlighted the plight of child migrants and their parents. The impact of the journey on migrant parent-child relationships has been less discussed. As a clinical psychologist, my practice and research has demonstrated that refugee parents, such as these migrants, often exhibit symptoms of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that have profound effects on parenting. Their emotionally distraught state can sometimes lead to overprotectiveness, harshness in parenting and even reversal of parent-child roles. Children in these circumstances are more likely to suffer from mental health problems. Infections, dehydration, tear gas The caravan formed in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, on October 13, nearly seven weeks ago. The 500 migrants who have been in the caravan from the beginning have marched a total of 4,000 blistering km on their way to Tijuana. Along the way, migrants have suffered from fevers, eye infections, lice infestations, respiratory infections and dehydration. As the city of Tijuana tries to accommodate thousands of migrants in temporary shelters, the crowded and unhygienic conditions only escalate health concerns. Children are more susceptible to diseases and tire out quicker, making this journey especially arduous for them. This adds to the list of concerns their parents already have. The batons and tear gas that these migrants have faced at the United States border further adds to the stress of relocation. Financial strife and marital discord The biggest push factors for these asylum seekers are the corruption and poverty rampant in their countries. According to the World Bank, two-thirds of the population of Honduras lived in poverty in 2016. According to the CIA World Factbook, over 30 per cent of the population lived under the poverty line in El Salvador at the same time. The signs of the migrants’ financial strife are evident. Migrant families have relied heavily on the generosity of strangers for food, shelter and transportation in the towns they have passed through. There is also the fact that people simply do not walk 4,000 km if they can travel the same distance in any other vehicle. In some cases, families have resorted to begging along the way for passage. Financial stress tends to increase the likelihood of marital discord, which leads to criticism and anger between spouses. Over time the strain on a marital relationship often spills over onto the parent-child relationship — leading to a marked reduction in nurturance, responsiveness to needs and consistency in parenting. This can contribute to socio-emotional problems in children — such as low self-esteem, depression, drug use and other health problems. Gang violence and dissociation Due to widespread gang violence, El Salvador has the highest homicide rate in the world, followed in second place by Honduras, with Guatemala not too far behind. Migrant families have reported fleeing their hometowns due to threats against their lives, or the lives of family members, if they did not join the local gang. Often, gangs also extort cuts of people’s already meagre livelihoods and threaten others with physical and sexual assault. Research indicates that repetitive community violence exposure causes parents to feel hopeless, powerless and emotionally drained, leading to symptoms of depression, anxiety and PTSD. Other fallouts include dissociation (feeling cut off from reality) and lower understanding of and tolerance towards their child’s psychological distress. As a result, children are more likely to develop emotional difficulties, learn disengagement and form similar unhelpful coping mechanisms. Need for social and emotional support Today in Tijuana, some asylum-seeking families await to be processed by authorities while others begin to settle into life in Mexico. Their parent-child relationships will be further tested and strained under the pressure of acculturation and other post-migration stressors. This underlines the need for social and emotional support at the end of this journey, as well as efforts to help them rehabilitate into safer areas. Childhood is already a delicate time for growth and development, even when good enough parenting and a stable, nurturing environment is available. A gruelling move to a strange and potentially hostile country obviously feels necessary for these migrant families — or they wouldn’t be on the move. Given the life they are fleeing, an uncertain future in an idealised country eclipses certain desolation and death in their homelands. (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The challenge of parenting in a migrant caravan

By Lloy Wylie

From the migrant caravan that has travelled across Central America, to the ongoing exodus from Syria, the plight of refugees has become a global crisis.

There are currently more refugees and asylum seekers fleeing conflict and violence around the world than ever before. The media lays out the trauma of this forced migration on our screens: Children who have witnessed parents assaulted or murdered; families forced to leave everything behind as they risk their lives on over-crowded, unseaworthy boats between Africa and Europe.

Most of these refugees end up stuck in camps for years, lacking basic necessities. Women and children face sexual or physical violence and human trafficking. The lucky ones make it to Canada — with a renewed sense of hope for a safer, better life.

When refugees arrive in Canada, they meet a health-care system that is often ill-equipped to address their complex social and psychological needs.

Our research team at Western University, which included clinical project staff Rita Van Meyel and Heather Harder, assessed the preparedness of mental health care services in London, Ont., to meet the needs of immigrants and refugees, including those experiencing trauma. We explored staff experiences as well as resources, supports and training for working across cultures and languages. We probed for relationships between the hospital and community agencies for examples of shared care.

Our findings, published in Public Health Reviews, are not reassuring. Health-care providers felt poorly prepared and supported to provide transcultural trauma-informed care.

Complex health challenges

The events forcing people to flee, and their difficult journeys across dangerous terrain and hostile borders, can have a devastating effect on mental health, according to our respondents working with refugees in mental health.

The struggle to adjust and to establish a life in a new country can also be distressing, if not traumatizing. Many refugees face downward social mobility as their professional credentials and experience are not recognized. Intergenerational and gender conflicts emerge, as families are assailed with pressures to assimilate. Deep-seated trauma is often buried under burdens with more immediacy.

Refugees need comprehensive social and psychological supports to overcome trauma and begin a healing path. But the fragmentation of mental health services leaves patients experiencing little to no coordination of care.

Refugees experiencing trauma who present with multiple complex health challenges often end up retelling their trauma story to several different care providers. In one of our focus group sessions, social workers noted that the poor coordination and information sharing between care providers often meant that multiple people would each ask the same refugee patient to explain their trauma.

Universal problems of overcrowded spaces and long waitlists, hallmarks of “hallway medicine,” have repercussions throughout the health-care system.

Many staff in mental health that we interviewed felt overworked, that they could never catch up with the demands of their complex caseloads. Our study participants noted that they often do not have enough time to develop the trust needed for a therapeutic relationship with their clients, particularly in the initial assessments of clients experiencing trauma.

Trauma experiences are collective

Patient-centred care requires that patients can share their experience and expectations. Allowing them to tell their story and share their goals takes time. When care providers facilitate these personal narratives, it helps to identify what the real challenges are and to develop tailored solutions.

A psychiatrist with training and expertise in transcultural mental health emphasized in a research interview that the identification of trauma and mental health itself is a culturally-biased process. How we express or understand mental health concerns varies across cultures and individuals.

A patient may take comfort in hearing the voice of their ancestor or muse, while the care provider calls it psychosis, and the family thinks they’re cursed. Building shared understandings take time.

Our health-care system is oriented to providing services for individuals. Many refugee families share a collective trauma experience. Their healing journey must also be a shared process. Care providers must consider the impact of trauma on the whole family. At the same time, they must analyse how each family member is coping through one-on-one time with a therapist.

Building interdisciplinary partnerships

Our research suggests that the current bottlenecks in the system could be resolved with effective task shifting and interdisciplinary models of team-based care. A social worker shared with us that when they collect and share the family narratives with the mental health team, psychiatrists can focus on treatment and recovery.

Staff told us they need time for training and access to resources around trauma-informed care. Care providers want skills for working in transcultural contexts, where services can integrate multiple cultural perspectives.

Although the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM5) now provides a guide for transcultural mental health assessments, care providers want a flexible approach and need sufficient time, allowing them to judge when patients are ready to share their stories.

Such a skill set would in fact be valuable for working with anyone needing mental health support. And let’s face it, most visits to the hospital are due to a scare that leaves all of us feeling vulnerable.

Building trauma-informed skills and supportive community partnerships will result in better mental health services for everyone — based on the compassion and caring that we all crave in our time of need.

(Lloy Wylie is Assistant Professor, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-develop-the-mental-health-care-that-refugees-really-need-106144">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

&nbsp;

By Lloy Wylie From the migrant caravan that has travelled across Central America, to the ongoing exodus from Syria, the plight of refugees has become a global crisis.

By Lloy Wylie From the migrant caravan that has travelled across Central America, to the ongoing exodus from Syria, the plight of refugees has become a global crisis. There are currently more refugees and asylum seekers fleeing conflict and violence around the world than ever before. The media lays out the trauma of this forced migration on our screens: Children who have witnessed parents assaulted or murdered; families forced to leave everything behind as they risk their lives on over-crowded, unseaworthy boats between Africa and Europe. Most of these refugees end up stuck in camps for years, lacking basic necessities. Women and children face sexual or physical violence and human trafficking. The lucky ones make it to Canada — with a renewed sense of hope for a safer, better life. When refugees arrive in Canada, they meet a health-care system that is often ill-equipped to address their complex social and psychological needs. Our research team at Western University, which included clinical project staff Rita Van Meyel and Heather Harder, assessed the preparedness of mental health care services in London, Ont., to meet the needs of immigrants and refugees, including those experiencing trauma. We explored staff experiences as well as resources, supports and training for working across cultures and languages. We probed for relationships between the hospital and community agencies for examples of shared care. Our findings, published in Public Health Reviews, are not reassuring. Health-care providers felt poorly prepared and supported to provide transcultural trauma-informed care. Complex health challenges The events forcing people to flee, and their difficult journeys across dangerous terrain and hostile borders, can have a devastating effect on mental health, according to our respondents working with refugees in mental health. The struggle to adjust and to establish a life in a new country can also be distressing, if not traumatizing. Many refugees face downward social mobility as their professional credentials and experience are not recognized. Intergenerational and gender conflicts emerge, as families are assailed with pressures to assimilate. Deep-seated trauma is often buried under burdens with more immediacy. Refugees need comprehensive social and psychological supports to overcome trauma and begin a healing path. But the fragmentation of mental health services leaves patients experiencing little to no coordination of care. Refugees experiencing trauma who present with multiple complex health challenges often end up retelling their trauma story to several different care providers. In one of our focus group sessions, social workers noted that the poor coordination and information sharing between care providers often meant that multiple people would each ask the same refugee patient to explain their trauma. Universal problems of overcrowded spaces and long waitlists, hallmarks of “hallway medicine,” have repercussions throughout the health-care system. Many staff in mental health that we interviewed felt overworked, that they could never catch up with the demands of their complex caseloads. Our study participants noted that they often do not have enough time to develop the trust needed for a therapeutic relationship with their clients, particularly in the initial assessments of clients experiencing trauma. Trauma experiences are collective Patient-centred care requires that patients can share their experience and expectations. Allowing them to tell their story and share their goals takes time. When care providers facilitate these personal narratives, it helps to identify what the real challenges are and to develop tailored solutions. A psychiatrist with training and expertise in transcultural mental health emphasized in a research interview that the identification of trauma and mental health itself is a culturally-biased process. How we express or understand mental health concerns varies across cultures and individuals. A patient may take comfort in hearing the voice of their ancestor or muse, while the care provider calls it psychosis, and the family thinks they’re cursed. Building shared understandings take time. Our health-care system is oriented to providing services for individuals. Many refugee families share a collective trauma experience. Their healing journey must also be a shared process. Care providers must consider the impact of trauma on the whole family. At the same time, they must analyse how each family member is coping through one-on-one time with a therapist. Building interdisciplinary partnerships Our research suggests that the current bottlenecks in the system could be resolved with effective task shifting and interdisciplinary models of team-based care. A social worker shared with us that when they collect and share the family narratives with the mental health team, psychiatrists can focus on treatment and recovery. Staff told us they need time for training and access to resources around trauma-informed care. Care providers want skills for working in transcultural contexts, where services can integrate multiple cultural perspectives. Although the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM5) now provides a guide for transcultural mental health assessments, care providers want a flexible approach and need sufficient time, allowing them to judge when patients are ready to share their stories. Such a skill set would in fact be valuable for working with anyone needing mental health support. And let’s face it, most visits to the hospital are due to a scare that leaves all of us feeling vulnerable. Building trauma-informed skills and supportive community partnerships will result in better mental health services for everyone — based on the compassion and caring that we all crave in our time of need. (Lloy Wylie is Assistant Professor, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

How to develop the mental health care that refugees really need

By Gaurav Khanna and Munseob Lee

Much of the current debate over immigration is about what kind of impact immigrants have on jobs and wages for workers born in the United States.

Seldom does anyone talk about how immigration leads to a wider variety of better products for the American consumer. We recently conducted a study to shine more light on the matter.

We are economists with a keen interest in growth and innovation and how immigration affects the economy.

What we found is that the more companies hire certain highly skilled and mostly college-educated foreign workers, the more those businesses create new products. In fact, we found that hiring high-skill immigrants has a stronger association with innovation than spending money on research and development.

In other words, more highly educated immigrant workers means more and better products – such as more efficient laptops, TVs and other electronics – on the American marketplace.

The creation of newer, better products

We discovered this by taking a closer look at “product reallocation.”

Economists have long regarded product reallocation as a primary indicator of how innovation affects economic growth. Product reallocation is simply the entry of newer products and exit of older products. For instance, innovation will lead to incremental changes to electronic products like laptops and TVs, which will make them more efficient. When these changes are made, a new model of the product is introduced in the market, and the older, obsolete model is phased out. The Austrian economist Joseph Schumpeter referred to this type of innovation as “creative destruction.”

Creative destruction, like other forms of innovation, drives companies to grow and increases the productivity of the economy as a whole. In addition, other work has shown that immigration is also strongly associated with patenting.

While patenting is a useful measure of innovation, it captures a very specific type of innovation. This is because some industries are more likely to get their innovations patented than others, depending on changes that may take place as a result of court rulings, new policies and the tax code. Consequently, many important innovations never get patented, and many things that get patented rarely get used.

The advantage of product reallocation – our measure of innovation – is that it captures incremental innovations that are usually not patented and thereby missed by previous research on the impact of immigration.

The connection between migration and production

There happens to be a good way to figure out which firms are hiring high-skill foreign workers.

To hire such a worker, companies must file a labour certification application to obtain an H-1B visa for the employee. H-1B visas allow US companies to temporarily hire foreign workers in jobs that require the “theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and a bachelor’s degree or higher in the specific speciality, or its equivalent,” according to the federal agency that oversees the program.

We obtained data on all labour certification applications for every company that filed at least one from 2001 to 2015. This data shows the employer name and location, details about the work start and end dates, the occupation and job title.

We combined this dataset with product details by looking at barcodes generated from point-of-sale systems, like the cash registers or payment terminals, from about 35,000 stores across the country. The first few digits of a barcode on products actually identify which company produced these products. This allows us to create measures of product entry and exit – that is, reallocation – at the company level.

Our research looks at the level of innovation, or reallocation rates, by four different types of business: those that hire H-1B workers, those that don’t, those that spend a lot on research and development and those that have different combinations of both.

If anything is clear from our study, it is that companies that hire more H-1B workers, regardless of how much they spend on research and development, have higher rates of product reallocation.

One of the main reasons we’re confident in our conclusion is the timing of the effects. Hiring an H-1B employee today was clearly associated with innovation gains in subsequent years. Specifically, a 10 per cent increase in the share of H-1B workers is associated with a 2 per cent increase in product reallocation – a rather meaningful increase in innovation.

In short, H-1B hiring seems to have a stronger association with reallocation rates than research and development, often seen as a wellspring for innovation.

Economic growth and consumer welfare

The US has the advantage of being a profitable hub of innovation and entrepreneurship. It can attract the best and the brightest minds from around the world, offering not just commensurate compensation but also the chance to interact with other innovators and entrepreneurs.

Given the rapidly increasing number of college graduates from populous countries like India and China, especially those specializing in science and engineering degrees, there is a growing pool of potential workers that US employers can choose from.

An added perk: Foreign workers may bring a slightly different set of skills, which in combination with the skill-set of US-born workers, can help produce new and more efficient products. As faster laptops, more effective pharmaceuticals, better cellphones and other higher quality electronics are introduced into the market, we reap their benefits as consumers.

Innovation also helps drive growth and raises productivity across sectors of the economy. For instance, many industries – from car manufacturers to bankers – use software and electronics in their production processes.

To that end, more efficient electronics not only benefit consumers, but also raise the productivity of all sectors that use such products, fueling growth for the economy as a whole.

(Gaurav Khanna is Assistant Professor of Economics, University of California San Diego; &nbsp;Munseob Lee is Assistant Professor of Economics, University of California San Diego)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/hiring-highly-educated-immigrants-leads-to-more-innovation-and-better-products-100087">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

By Gaurav Khanna and Munseob Lee Much of the current debate over immigration is about what kind of impact immigrants have on jobs and wages for workers born in the United States.

By Gaurav Khanna and Munseob Lee Much of the current debate over immigration is about what kind of impact immigrants have on jobs and wages for workers born in the United States. Seldom does anyone talk about how immigration leads to a wider variety of better products for the American consumer. We recently conducted a study to shine more light on the matter. We are economists with a keen interest in growth and innovation and how immigration affects the economy. What we found is that the more companies hire certain highly skilled and mostly college-educated foreign workers, the more those businesses create new products. In fact, we found that hiring high-skill immigrants has a stronger association with innovation than spending money on research and development. In other words, more highly educated immigrant workers means more and better products – such as more efficient laptops, TVs and other electronics – on the American marketplace. The creation of newer, better products We discovered this by taking a closer look at “product reallocation.” Economists have long regarded product reallocation as a primary indicator of how innovation affects economic growth. Product reallocation is simply the entry of newer products and exit of older products. For instance, innovation will lead to incremental changes to electronic products like laptops and TVs, which will make them more efficient. When these changes are made, a new model of the product is introduced in the market, and the older, obsolete model is phased out. The Austrian economist Joseph Schumpeter referred to this type of innovation as “creative destruction.” Creative destruction, like other forms of innovation, drives companies to grow and increases the productivity of the economy as a whole. In addition, other work has shown that immigration is also strongly associated with patenting. While patenting is a useful measure of innovation, it captures a very specific type of innovation. This is because some industries are more likely to get their innovations patented than others, depending on changes that may take place as a result of court rulings, new policies and the tax code. Consequently, many important innovations never get patented, and many things that get patented rarely get used. The advantage of product reallocation – our measure of innovation – is that it captures incremental innovations that are usually not patented and thereby missed by previous research on the impact of immigration. The connection between migration and production There happens to be a good way to figure out which firms are hiring high-skill foreign workers. To hire such a worker, companies must file a labour certification application to obtain an H-1B visa for the employee. H-1B visas allow US companies to temporarily hire foreign workers in jobs that require the “theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and a bachelor’s degree or higher in the specific speciality, or its equivalent,” according to the federal agency that oversees the program. We obtained data on all labour certification applications for every company that filed at least one from 2001 to 2015. This data shows the employer name and location, details about the work start and end dates, the occupation and job title. We combined this dataset with product details by looking at barcodes generated from point-of-sale systems, like the cash registers or payment terminals, from about 35,000 stores across the country. The first few digits of a barcode on products actually identify which company produced these products. This allows us to create measures of product entry and exit – that is, reallocation – at the company level. Our research looks at the level of innovation, or reallocation rates, by four different types of business: those that hire H-1B workers, those that don’t, those that spend a lot on research and development and those that have different combinations of both. If anything is clear from our study, it is that companies that hire more H-1B workers, regardless of how much they spend on research and development, have higher rates of product reallocation. One of the main reasons we’re confident in our conclusion is the timing of the effects. Hiring an H-1B employee today was clearly associated with innovation gains in subsequent years. Specifically, a 10 per cent increase in the share of H-1B workers is associated with a 2 per cent increase in product reallocation – a rather meaningful increase in innovation. In short, H-1B hiring seems to have a stronger association with reallocation rates than research and development, often seen as a wellspring for innovation. Economic growth and consumer welfare The US has the advantage of being a profitable hub of innovation and entrepreneurship. It can attract the best and the brightest minds from around the world, offering not just commensurate compensation but also the chance to interact with other innovators and entrepreneurs. Given the rapidly increasing number of college graduates from populous countries like India and China, especially those specializing in science and engineering degrees, there is a growing pool of potential workers that US employers can choose from. An added perk: Foreign workers may bring a slightly different set of skills, which in combination with the skill-set of US-born workers, can help produce new and more efficient products. As faster laptops, more effective pharmaceuticals, better cellphones and other higher quality electronics are introduced into the market, we reap their benefits as consumers. Innovation also helps drive growth and raises productivity across sectors of the economy. For instance, many industries – from car manufacturers to bankers – use software and electronics in their production processes. To that end, more efficient electronics not only benefit consumers, but also raise the productivity of all sectors that use such products, fueling growth for the economy as a whole. (Gaurav Khanna is Assistant Professor of Economics, University of California San Diego; Munseob Lee is Assistant Professor of Economics, University of California San Diego) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Hiring educated immigrants leads to more innovation

Campaign group Amnesty International said on Tuesday it had gathered evidence that insurgents from a Rohingya Muslim armed group killed scores of Hindu civilians in August last year, amid a surge in violence in western Myanmar.

A military response to insurgent attacks on 30 police posts and an army base in northern Rakhine state the early hours of Aug. 25 pushed almost 700,000 Rohingya Muslims across the border to Bangladesh, many accusing security forces of killings, rape and arson.

Senior UN&nbsp;officials have said the response amounted to ethnic cleansing and that Myanmar's security forces may have committed genocide.

Amnesty International's research is the first published by an international human rights group to document in detail alleged atrocities by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA).

It said masked ARSA fighters killed as many as 99 Hindus near a remote village named Kha Maung Seik shortly after launching the coordinated attacks on security posts.

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Amnesty International cited witnesses including eight Hindu women who alleged they were abducted by ARSA fighters and forced to convert to Islam. Some of the women had earlier told media including Reuters that their loved ones were killed by Buddhists, but later recanted their stories, saying they had been coerced by their captors.

Myanmar is majority Buddhist, and the Rohingya are Muslim. The country also has a Christian minority and a smaller number of Hindus.

Myanmar authorities in September unearthed 45 bodies near Kha Maung Seik and accused the ARSA of carrying out the killings.

Reuters was unable to reach an ARSA representative for comment on Tuesday. ARSA said in a Sept. 27 statement it "categorically denies that any of its members or combatants perpetrated murder" and other abuses in villages including Kha Maung Seik.

Myanmar's main government spokesman Zaw Htay said he could not comment on Tuesday evening as he had not seen the report.

Amnesty International also said it had documented a separate killing of six Hindus by ARSA fighters on Aug. 26 near the town of Maungdaw.

“It’s hard to ignore the sheer brutality of ARSA’s actions, which have left an indelible impression on the survivors we’ve spoken to," Tirana Hassan, Amnesty International's crisis response director, said in a statement.

"Accountability for these atrocities is every bit as crucial as it is for the crimes against humanity carried out by Myanmar’s security forces in northern Rakhine State."

ARSA emerged as a group with earlier attacks on border posts in 2016. Its leader, Ata Ullah, has said it is fighting for the rights of the Rohingya, who have long complained of persecution as a stateless minority in Myanmar.

Reporters have been unable freely to visit parts of northern Rakhine for more than 18 months.

"After careful review of evidence obtained in Bangladesh and Rakhine State, Amnesty International has concluded that ARSA fighters are responsible for the massacre," Amnesty said, calling for Myanmar to grant U.N. investigators access to the conflict area to document atrocities by both ARSA and the military.

Amnesty said masked Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army fighters killed as many as 99 Hindus near a remote Myanmarese village named Kha Maung Seik

Campaign group Amnesty International said on Tuesday it had gathered evidence that insurgents from a Rohingya Muslim armed group killed scores of Hindu civilians in August last year, amid a surge in violence in western Myanmar. A military response to insurgent attacks on 30 police posts and an army base in northern Rakhine state the early hours of Aug. 25 pushed almost 700,000 Rohingya Muslims across the border to Bangladesh, many accusing security forces of killings, rape and arson. Senior UN officials have said the response amounted to ethnic cleansing and that Myanmar's security forces may have committed genocide. Amnesty International's research is the first published by an international human rights group to document in detail alleged atrocities by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA). It said masked ARSA fighters killed as many as 99 Hindus near a remote village named Kha Maung Seik shortly after launching the coordinated attacks on security posts. Amnesty International cited witnesses including eight Hindu women who alleged they were abducted by ARSA fighters and forced to convert to Islam. Some of the women had earlier told media their loved ones were killed by Buddhists, but later recanted their stories, saying they had been coerced by their captors × Amnesty International cited witnesses including eight Hindu women who alleged they were abducted by ARSA fighters and forced to convert to Islam. Some of the women had earlier told media including Reuters that their loved ones were killed by Buddhists, but later recanted their stories, saying they had been coerced by their captors. Myanmar is majority Buddhist, and the Rohingya are Muslim. The country also has a Christian minority and a smaller number of Hindus. Myanmar authorities in September unearthed 45 bodies near Kha Maung Seik and accused the ARSA of carrying out the killings. Reuters was unable to reach an ARSA representative for comment on Tuesday. ARSA said in a Sept. 27 statement it "categorically denies that any of its members or combatants perpetrated murder" and other abuses in villages including Kha Maung Seik. Myanmar's main government spokesman Zaw Htay said he could not comment on Tuesday evening as he had not seen the report. Amnesty International also said it had documented a separate killing of six Hindus by ARSA fighters on Aug. 26 near the town of Maungdaw. “It’s hard to ignore the sheer brutality of ARSA’s actions, which have left an indelible impression on the survivors we’ve spoken to," Tirana Hassan, Amnesty International's crisis response director, said in a statement. "Accountability for these atrocities is every bit as crucial as it is for the crimes against humanity carried out by Myanmar’s security forces in northern Rakhine State." ARSA emerged as a group with earlier attacks on border posts in 2016. Its leader, Ata Ullah, has said it is fighting for the rights of the Rohingya, who have long complained of persecution as a stateless minority in Myanmar. Reporters have been unable freely to visit parts of northern Rakhine for more than 18 months. "After careful review of evidence obtained in Bangladesh and Rakhine State, Amnesty International has concluded that ARSA fighters are responsible for the massacre," Amnesty said, calling for Myanmar to grant U.N. investigators access to the conflict area to document atrocities by both ARSA and the military.

Rohingya militants killed Hindu villagers in Myanmar: Amnesty International

The UN has said that lives of tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees hang in the balance as monsoon and cyclone seasons threaten their makeshift camps in Bangladesh.

According to the UN estimates, nearly 700,000 minority Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh to escape violence in Myanmar's Rakhine State since August 25 last year when the army launched a military crackdown.

Myanmar does not recognise Rohingya as an ethnic group and insists that they are Bangladeshi migrants living illegally in the country.

The United Nations migration agency -- the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) -- appealed for urgent financial support to prepare the area in southern Bangladesh against floods and landslides.

Without new funding, tens of thousands of people in the camps, fleeing violence triggered in Myanmar last August, will be at risk, the IOM said.

"We cannot wait for funding to come in after the emergency is over and possibly preventable tragedies have occurred," said John McCue, IOM's Senior Operations Coordinator in Cox's Bazar.

"We need to be able to act now if lives are to be saved," he said.

Almost a million Rohingya refugees live in Cox's Bazar under tarpaulins, on steep, sandy slopes&nbsp25,000 of whom are said to be at the highest risk of landslides.

Without aid, numerous refugees will have to remain in these hazardous locations and hundreds of thousands of others will also be at risk if roads become impassible, blocking access to aid supplies and medical services.

"Tarp stocks are also rapidly running out and the IOM, which oversees shelter distribution, reports that by mid-May supplies will fall below critical levels," McCue said.

He said that without more funding, neither new shelters nor replacements would be available to those who lost homes during storms.

He also pointed out that other risks included safe water supply systems, which if collapsed could put hundreds of thousands of refugees in jeopardy of waterborne diseases.

Only nine per cent of a USD 951 million joint agency response plan has been secured. Of that, USD 182 million allocated to provide Cox's Bazar with assistance through December 2018 is facing a shortfall of almost USD 151 million.

Aid staff on the ground are working to improve shelters, secure key access roads and have emergency response services ready should the worst happens, "but the harsh truth is that we cannot keep doing that if we do not have the funds," McCue said.

The IOM, the World Food Programme and the UN refugee agency are working alongside the Bangladesh government and others to manage the scale of the response in Cox's Bazar&nbspthe world's biggest refugee settlement.

"If significant funding is not secured in the next few weeks to keep operations running, there is a high likelihood that many children, women and men may die, when they could have otherwise been saved," McCue said.

The Security Council members are making their way to the region.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the overall population of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh is currently estimated to be over one million.

New refugees are still arriving, with some 8,000 new arrivals since January 2018, he said.

The latest round of food distribution reached over 470,000 people and humanitarian partners on the ground also conduct protection monitoring missions to support survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, Dujarric said.

To date, the joint response plan for the Rohingya humanitarian crisis, launched in mid-March, is only nine per cent funded.

It requests USD 951 million to help respond to the needs of some 1.3 million people, both Rohingya refugees and vulnerable members of the host community, until December 2018.

The UN described the atrocities by the Myanmar military on Rohingya refugees as a textbook example of ethnic cleansing while the rights groups called it a genocide.

Buddhist-majority Myanmar, however, rejects the charge, saying its security forces launched a counter-insurgency operation on August 25 in response to Rohingya militant attacks.

 
&nbsp

Almost a million Rohingya refugees live in Cox's Bazar under tarpaulins, on steep, sandy slopes 25,000 of whom are said to be at the highest risk of landslides

The UN has said that lives of tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees hang in the balance as monsoon and cyclone seasons threaten their makeshift camps in Bangladesh. According to the UN estimates, nearly 700,000 minority Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh to escape violence in Myanmar's Rakhine State since August 25 last year when the army launched a military crackdown. Myanmar does not recognise Rohingya as an ethnic group and insists that they are Bangladeshi migrants living illegally in the country. The United Nations migration agency -- the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) -- appealed for urgent financial support to prepare the area in southern Bangladesh against floods and landslides. Without new funding, tens of thousands of people in the camps, fleeing violence triggered in Myanmar last August, will be at risk, the IOM said. "We cannot wait for funding to come in after the emergency is over and possibly preventable tragedies have occurred," said John McCue, IOM's Senior Operations Coordinator in Cox's Bazar. "We need to be able to act now if lives are to be saved," he said. Almost a million Rohingya refugees live in Cox's Bazar under tarpaulins, on steep, sandy slopes&nbsp25,000 of whom are said to be at the highest risk of landslides. Without aid, numerous refugees will have to remain in these hazardous locations and hundreds of thousands of others will also be at risk if roads become impassible, blocking access to aid supplies and medical services. "Tarp stocks are also rapidly running out and the IOM, which oversees shelter distribution, reports that by mid-May supplies will fall below critical levels," McCue said. He said that without more funding, neither new shelters nor replacements would be available to those who lost homes during storms. He also pointed out that other risks included safe water supply systems, which if collapsed could put hundreds of thousands of refugees in jeopardy of waterborne diseases. Only nine per cent of a USD 951 million joint agency response plan has been secured. Of that, USD 182 million allocated to provide Cox's Bazar with assistance through December 2018 is facing a shortfall of almost USD 151 million. Aid staff on the ground are working to improve shelters, secure key access roads and have emergency response services ready should the worst happens, "but the harsh truth is that we cannot keep doing that if we do not have the funds," McCue said. The IOM, the World Food Programme and the UN refugee agency are working alongside the Bangladesh government and others to manage the scale of the response in Cox's Bazar&nbspthe world's biggest refugee settlement. "If significant funding is not secured in the next few weeks to keep operations running, there is a high likelihood that many children, women and men may die, when they could have otherwise been saved," McCue said. The Security Council members are making their way to the region. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the overall population of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh is currently estimated to be over one million. New refugees are still arriving, with some 8,000 new arrivals since January 2018, he said. The latest round of food distribution reached over 470,000 people and humanitarian partners on the ground also conduct protection monitoring missions to support survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, Dujarric said. To date, the joint response plan for the Rohingya humanitarian crisis, launched in mid-March, is only nine per cent funded. It requests USD 951 million to help respond to the needs of some 1.3 million people, both Rohingya refugees and vulnerable members of the host community, until December 2018. The UN described the atrocities by the Myanmar military on Rohingya refugees as a textbook example of ethnic cleansing while the rights groups called it a genocide. Buddhist-majority Myanmar, however, rejects the charge, saying its security forces launched a counter-insurgency operation on August 25 in response to Rohingya militant attacks.

Monsoon threatens tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees: UN

The hapless, homeless Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh have another challenge at hand, protecting themselves from a drug trap. An exclusive DNA report brings to light how the poor and traumatised ethnic minority is fast falling prey to drug mafia.&nbsp;

Several Rohingya families were enlisted by the international drug mafia as they fled from Myanmar into the neighbouring nation. For many Rohingyas, agreeing to carry drugs can aptly be described as a desperate move to get out of Myanmar.&nbsp;

Rashid Alam sneaked into Bangladesh in September 2017 and was living at a refugee camp at Teknaf, Cox Bazar. In December, he was caught with 3,5000 Yaba tablets. He told the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) that he fell into the hands of touts who promised to bring his family and relatives safely out of Myanmar and provide them with a job in Bangladesh.&nbsp;

30-year-old Alam hails from of Dongkhali, and like many belonging to the ethnic group, he harbours hope of meeting his family someday.

The report suggests many women, men and teenagers have become drug mules for the international drug mafia. It is easy to lure them as they live in despicable conditions in refugees camps spread across Cox Bazar. All they have to do is carry the 'madness drug' over the border to India or distribute it within Bangladesh.

Over 11.5 lakh Rohingyas are estimated to live in Bangladesh, close to the Myanmar border. While a new settlement is built almost every day to accommodate them, a fresh group of refugees pour in from Myanmar almost every day.&nbsp;

The huts, spread over kilometres, are concentrated at two major camps at Kutupalong and Balukhali. Nearly four to five people share a hut which has room for just one person. The refugees take turns to sleep.

The food and other essential aid provided to the refugees from various NGOs and the United Nations High Commissioner is barely adequate for the swelling numbers.

In such a situation, the refugees become an easy prey and fall for the touts luring them with a promise of sending them to their motherland or securing employment in other countries.&nbsp;

"The smuggling of Yaba tablets has increased manifold since last year," Colonel Gazi Md Ahsanuzzaman, acting regional commander of south-east region of BGB told DNA.&nbsp;

"Yaba pills worth Taka 1.25 crore are smuggled per day in Bangladesh earlier it was limited to few lakhs," said Ahsanuzzaman.&nbsp;

The tablets are smuggled from the no-man's land near Gumdhum village in Bangladesh, where the border is plain and porous, and from there to Teknaf.

Last month, BGB seized yaba tablets worth Taka 52 crore from a Rohingya woman. "They carry it in their shoes. Now everybody is suspicious of the Rohingyas. The basic instinct of a person is to work. we cannot keep them idle," said Brigadier General SM Rakibullah, regional director of BGB (Cox Bazar).

In Rakibullah's words, there seems to be no permanent solution to this humanitarian crisis. "They cannot be contained for long. There will be a spill-over, and more will be recruited by the drug mafia," he noted.

As many as 1,49,99,570 Yaba tablets were seized last year. This year 52,97,234 tablets have already been seized till March. Each tablet costs between 450-500 taka.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Several Rohingya families were enlisted by the international drug mafia as they fled from Myanmar

The hapless, homeless Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh have another challenge at hand, protecting themselves from a drug trap. An exclusive DNA report brings to light how the poor and traumatised ethnic minority is fast falling prey to drug mafia. Several Rohingya families were enlisted by the international drug mafia as they fled from Myanmar into the neighbouring nation. For many Rohingyas, agreeing to carry drugs can aptly be described as a desperate move to get out of Myanmar. Rashid Alam sneaked into Bangladesh in September 2017 and was living at a refugee camp at Teknaf, Cox Bazar. In December, he was caught with 3,5000 Yaba tablets. He told the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) that he fell into the hands of touts who promised to bring his family and relatives safely out of Myanmar and provide them with a job in Bangladesh. 30-year-old Alam hails from of Dongkhali, and like many belonging to the ethnic group, he harbours hope of meeting his family someday. The report suggests many women, men and teenagers have become drug mules for the international drug mafia. It is easy to lure them as they live in despicable conditions in refugees camps spread across Cox Bazar. All they have to do is carry the 'madness drug' over the border to India or distribute it within Bangladesh. Over 11.5 lakh Rohingyas are estimated to live in Bangladesh, close to the Myanmar border. While a new settlement is built almost every day to accommodate them, a fresh group of refugees pour in from Myanmar almost every day. The huts, spread over kilometres, are concentrated at two major camps at Kutupalong and Balukhali. Nearly four to five people share a hut which has room for just one person. The refugees take turns to sleep. The food and other essential aid provided to the refugees from various NGOs and the United Nations High Commissioner is barely adequate for the swelling numbers. In such a situation, the refugees become an easy prey and fall for the touts luring them with a promise of sending them to their motherland or securing employment in other countries. "The smuggling of Yaba tablets has increased manifold since last year," Colonel Gazi Md Ahsanuzzaman, acting regional commander of south-east region of BGB told DNA. "Yaba pills worth Taka 1.25 crore are smuggled per day in Bangladesh earlier it was limited to few lakhs," said Ahsanuzzaman. The tablets are smuggled from the no-man's land near Gumdhum village in Bangladesh, where the border is plain and porous, and from there to Teknaf. Last month, BGB seized yaba tablets worth Taka 52 crore from a Rohingya woman. "They carry it in their shoes. Now everybody is suspicious of the Rohingyas. The basic instinct of a person is to work. we cannot keep them idle," said Brigadier General SM Rakibullah, regional director of BGB (Cox Bazar). In Rakibullah's words, there seems to be no permanent solution to this humanitarian crisis. "They cannot be contained for long. There will be a spill-over, and more will be recruited by the drug mafia," he noted. As many as 1,49,99,570 Yaba tablets were seized last year. This year 52,97,234 tablets have already been seized till March. Each tablet costs between 450-500 taka.

Homeless Rohingya refugees falling into drug trap: Report

A group of 76 Rohingyas, which was rescued from Indonesian waters on Friday, was at the sea for nearly nine days. According to reports, a Rohingya Muslim man, among the rescued, claimed that the group kept drifting in a wooden boat for nine days after leaving Myanmar.

The group is reported to have faced intense persecution in Myanmar. As many as 8 children, 25 women and 43 men were brought ashore on Friday afternoon in Aceh province of Sumatra in Indonesia.&nbsp

This was the third such attempt in a month by the Rohingyas to escape Myanmar by the sea.

According to the local authorities, many from the rescued group suffered dehydration and exhaustion and required medical attention. &nbsp

A man called Fariq Muhammad shared that he had paid a sum equivalent to around $150 to secure&nbspa place on the boat.&nbsp

Myanmar's Rakhine state grapples with a violent military crackdown that triggered an exodus of nearly 700,000 refugees into neighbouring Bangladesh.&nbsp

The group is reported to have faced intense persecution in Myanmar

A group of 76 Rohingyas, which was rescued from Indonesian waters on Friday, was at the sea for nearly nine days. According to reports, a Rohingya Muslim man, among the rescued, claimed that the group kept drifting in a wooden boat for nine days after leaving Myanmar. The group is reported to have faced intense persecution in Myanmar. As many as 8 children, 25 women and 43 men were brought ashore on Friday afternoon in Aceh province of Sumatra in Indonesia. This was the third such attempt in a month by the Rohingyas to escape Myanmar by the sea. According to the local authorities, many from the rescued group suffered dehydration and exhaustion and required medical attention. A man called Fariq Muhammad shared that he had paid a sum equivalent to around $150 to secure&nbspa place on the boat. Myanmar's Rakhine state grapples with a violent military crackdown that triggered an exodus of nearly 700,000 refugees into neighbouring Bangladesh.

Rohingya refugees rescued after drifting at sea for over a week

A UN&nbsprights watchdog called on Hungary on Thursday to crack down on hate speech by politicians against Roma, Muslims and other minorities, and to repeal a law allowing migrants to be deported without a chance to seek asylum.

It urged the nationalist government to reject draft laws known as the "Stop-Soros Package" that would empower the interior minister to ban non-governmental organisations that support migration and pose a "national security risk".

The government says the bill is meant to deter illegal immigration that Prime Minister Viktor Orban says is eroding European stability and has been stoked in part by Hungarian-born U.S. financier George Soros. It says its policies are to ensure Hungarians can live in safety.

Orban, seeking a third consecutive term on Sunday, has campaigned on a strong anti-migration message - although a UN&nbsppanel expert said the timing of the watchdog's comments, at the end of a four-week meeting, was not directed at voters.

The UN&nbspHuman Rights Committee voiced concern at "hate crimes and about hate speech in political discourse, the media and on the internet targeting minorities, notably, Roma, Muslim, migrants and refugees, including in the context of government-sponsored campaigns".

The panel issued its findings and recommendations after its 18 independent experts reviewed Hungary's record on upholding civil and political rights.

"The concern we saw in Hungary is that sometimes hate speech is accompanied by hate crimes which are directed against minorities and against migrants," Yuval Shany, the panel vice-chair, told Reuters TV.

Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto defended Hungary's policies, telling the UN&nbsppanel last month: "First and foremost, it is a firm conviction of the government that the Hungarian people have the right to live a life in security, without fear of terrorist atrocities."

In 2015, the central European country had a "sad experience" when some 400,000 migrants passed through on their way to Western Europe, "ignoring all rules", he said.

The UN&nbsppanel also decried a Hungarian law adopted a year ago that allows for automatically removing all asylum applicants to transit zones for indefinite confinement.

People should be allowed freedom of movement while their individual asylum claims are examined to see whether they are refugees fleeing war or persecution, the committee said.

The panel added that Hungary should repeal a June 2016 law that enables police to summarily expel anyone entering irregularly.

The committee also voiced concern at the "prevalence of anti-Semitic stereotypes" and how "high-ranking officials have nurtured conspiracy theories relating to George Soros".

Orban has waged a billboard and media campaign asserting that Soros would "settle millions from Africa and the Middle East", among other allegations.

Soros, who is Jewish, has rejected the campaign against him as "distortions and lies" meant to create a false external enemy.

UN rights watchdog urged the nationalist government to reject draft laws known as the "Stop-Soros Package" that would empower the interior minister to ban non-governmental organisations that support migration and pose a 'national security risk'

A UN&nbsprights watchdog called on Hungary on Thursday to crack down on hate speech by politicians against Roma, Muslims and other minorities, and to repeal a law allowing migrants to be deported without a chance to seek asylum. It urged the nationalist government to reject draft laws known as the "Stop-Soros Package" that would empower the interior minister to ban non-governmental organisations that support migration and pose a "national security risk". The government says the bill is meant to deter illegal immigration that Prime Minister Viktor Orban says is eroding European stability and has been stoked in part by Hungarian-born U.S. financier George Soros. It says its policies are to ensure Hungarians can live in safety. Orban, seeking a third consecutive term on Sunday, has campaigned on a strong anti-migration message - although a UN&nbsppanel expert said the timing of the watchdog's comments, at the end of a four-week meeting, was not directed at voters. The UN&nbspHuman Rights Committee voiced concern at "hate crimes and about hate speech in political discourse, the media and on the internet targeting minorities, notably, Roma, Muslim, migrants and refugees, including in the context of government-sponsored campaigns". The panel issued its findings and recommendations after its 18 independent experts reviewed Hungary's record on upholding civil and political rights. "The concern we saw in Hungary is that sometimes hate speech is accompanied by hate crimes which are directed against minorities and against migrants," Yuval Shany, the panel vice-chair, told Reuters TV. Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto defended Hungary's policies, telling the UN&nbsppanel last month: "First and foremost, it is a firm conviction of the government that the Hungarian people have the right to live a life in security, without fear of terrorist atrocities." In 2015, the central European country had a "sad experience" when some 400,000 migrants passed through on their way to Western Europe, "ignoring all rules", he said. The UN&nbsppanel also decried a Hungarian law adopted a year ago that allows for automatically removing all asylum applicants to transit zones for indefinite confinement. People should be allowed freedom of movement while their individual asylum claims are examined to see whether they are refugees fleeing war or persecution, the committee said. The panel added that Hungary should repeal a June 2016 law that enables police to summarily expel anyone entering irregularly. The committee also voiced concern at the "prevalence of anti-Semitic stereotypes" and how "high-ranking officials have nurtured conspiracy theories relating to George Soros". Orban has waged a billboard and media campaign asserting that Soros would "settle millions from Africa and the Middle East", among other allegations. Soros, who is Jewish, has rejected the campaign against him as "distortions and lies" meant to create a false external enemy.

UN rights watchdog urges Hungary to halt hate speech, protect refugees

Israel announced&nbsp;Monday&nbsp;it had reached a deal with the UN refugee agency to cancel a controversial plan to deport African migrants and replace it with a new one that will see thousands sent to Western countries.

A minimum of 16,250 migrants will be resettled in unspecified Western nations under the agreement announced in a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office.&nbsp;

Netanyahu in January announced the implementation of a programme to remove migrants who entered illegally, giving them a choice between leaving voluntarily or facing indefinite imprisonment with eventual&nbsp;forced expulsion.

According to interior ministry figures, there are currently some 42,000 African migrants in Israel, half of them children, women or men with families, who are not facing immediate deportation.

They are mainly Sudanese and Eritrean.

As the migrants could face danger or imprisonment if returned to their homelands, Israel offered to relocate them to an unnamed African country, which deportees and aid workers said was Rwanda or Uganda.

The statement&nbsp;on Monday&nbsp;said the new plan meant there was no longer a need to send migrants to unnamed third countries.

The plans had drawn sharp criticism from the United Nations refugee agency as well as from some Israelis and rights activists.

The migrants' presence in Israel has become a political issue, with Netanyahu referring to them as "not refugees but illegal infiltrators".

Some 16,250 migrants will be resettled in unspecified Western nations

Israel announced Monday it had reached a deal with the UN refugee agency to cancel a controversial plan to deport African migrants and replace it with a new one that will see thousands sent to Western countries. A minimum of 16,250 migrants will be resettled in unspecified Western nations under the agreement announced in a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office. Netanyahu in January announced the implementation of a programme to remove migrants who entered illegally, giving them a choice between leaving voluntarily or facing indefinite imprisonment with eventual forced expulsion. According to interior ministry figures, there are currently some 42,000 African migrants in Israel, half of them children, women or men with families, who are not facing immediate deportation. They are mainly Sudanese and Eritrean. As the migrants could face danger or imprisonment if returned to their homelands, Israel offered to relocate them to an unnamed African country, which deportees and aid workers said was Rwanda or Uganda. The statement on Monday said the new plan meant there was no longer a need to send migrants to unnamed third countries. The plans had drawn sharp criticism from the United Nations refugee agency as well as from some Israelis and rights activists. The migrants' presence in Israel has become a political issue, with Netanyahu referring to them as "not refugees but illegal infiltrators".

Israel cancels controversial plan to deport African migrants

Rohingya refugees living in shelters at Cox&#39;s Bazar in Bangladesh said on Thursday (March 22) that they were facing aid shortage and harassment from Myanmar&#39;s border guards, even as an anticipated monsoon season looms in the horizon, compounding difficulties for the refugees.

Work was underway in Kutupalong camps to build additional infrastructure and drains to cope with potential heavy rains and the cyclone season. Aid agencies were ramping up efforts to distribute aid packages, but residents such as Ali Miah said they sometimes &quot;don&#39;t get any water&quot; despite twice daily supplies.

Elsewhere at the Tunbru border, which separates Bangladesh with neighbouring Myanmar, camp refugees said border guards have been constantly disturbing them. &quot;They throw stones towards our camps at night,&quot; said Noor Alam.

United Nations&#39; officials said nearly 700,000 Muslim Rohingya have fled Buddhist-majority Myanmar to Bangladesh since August 2017, after militant attacks sparked a crackdown, led by security forces, in Rakhine state that the UN and United States said constitutes ethnic cleansing.

The UK&#39;s International Development Committee said the situation for Rohingya would likely worsen, with heavy rains of 2.5 metres predicted to fall from June through August.

Heavy rains of 2.5 metres predicted to fall from June through August

Rohingya refugees living in shelters at Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh said on Thursday (March 22) that they were facing aid shortage and harassment from Myanmar's border guards, even as an anticipated monsoon season looms in the horizon, compounding difficulties for the refugees. Work was underway in Kutupalong camps to build additional infrastructure and drains to cope with potential heavy rains and the cyclone season. Aid agencies were ramping up efforts to distribute aid packages, but residents such as Ali Miah said they sometimes "don't get any water" despite twice daily supplies. Elsewhere at the Tunbru border, which separates Bangladesh with neighbouring Myanmar, camp refugees said border guards have been constantly disturbing them. "They throw stones towards our camps at night," said Noor Alam. United Nations' officials said nearly 700,000 Muslim Rohingya have fled Buddhist-majority Myanmar to Bangladesh since August 2017, after militant attacks sparked a crackdown, led by security forces, in Rakhine state that the UN and United States said constitutes ethnic cleansing. The UK's International Development Committee said the situation for Rohingya would likely worsen, with heavy rains of 2.5 metres predicted to fall from June through August.

Rohingya refugees face aid shortage, harassment ahead of monsoon season in Bangladesh

Nobel peace prize winner and Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai has announced her next book &quot;We Are Displaced&quot;. The book will focus on the experiences of refugees and is described as young readers&#39; introduction to &quot;what it means to lose your home, your community, and the only world you&#39;ve ever known.&quot;

In her book, Yousafzai will recount her experiences and share stories about those she met during her visit to various refugee camps and areas inhabited by them.&nbsp;

&quot;What tends to get lost in the current refugee crisis is the humanity behind the statistics. We hear about millions of refugees, hundreds of migrants trapped on a boat or in a truck, but it&#39;s only when a truly shocking image appears in the news that people consider what&#39;s really going on,&quot;&nbsp;Malala said in a statement.

&quot;I know what it&#39;s like to leave your home and everything you know. I know the stories of so many people who have had to do the same. I hope that by sharing the stories of those I have met in the last few years I can help others understand what&#39;s happening and have compassion for the millions of people displaced by conflict,&quot; she added further.

The rights of the book have been acquired by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. &quot;We Are Displaced&quot; will be published on September 4, 2018.

(With inputs from PTI)&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

In her book, Yousafzai will share stories about those she met during her visit to various refugee camps

Nobel peace prize winner and Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai has announced her next book "We Are Displaced". The book will focus on the experiences of refugees and is described as young readers' introduction to "what it means to lose your home, your community, and the only world you've ever known." In her book, Yousafzai will recount her experiences and share stories about those she met during her visit to various refugee camps and areas inhabited by them. "What tends to get lost in the current refugee crisis is the humanity behind the statistics. We hear about millions of refugees, hundreds of migrants trapped on a boat or in a truck, but it's only when a truly shocking image appears in the news that people consider what's really going on," Malala said in a statement. "I know what it's like to leave your home and everything you know. I know the stories of so many people who have had to do the same. I hope that by sharing the stories of those I have met in the last few years I can help others understand what's happening and have compassion for the millions of people displaced by conflict," she added further. The rights of the book have been acquired by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. "We Are Displaced" will be published on September 4, 2018. (With inputs from PTI)

Malala Yousafzai's next book 'We Are Displaced' to focus on refugees' plight

A senior Bangladesh cabinet minister has accused Myanmar of obstructing efforts to repatriate roughly 750,000 Rohingya refugees, saying it was unlikely the displaced Muslims would ever return to their homeland.

Finance minister AMA Muhith said the repatriation deal signed between Myanmar and Bangladesh in November would likely fail despite his government&#39;s official stance that the refugees must eventually go back.

&quot;I do not believe that the Rohingya can be sent back,&quot; Muhith, an outspoken minister from the ruling party, told reporters late Tuesday in Dhaka after meeting with a British charity.

&quot;You can speculate that very few will return to Burma. The first reason is that Burma will only take a few and secondly is that the refugees will never return if they fear persecution,&quot; he added, using another name for Myanmar.

Bangladesh insists the repatriation process will go ahead, last month submitting to Myanmar the names of 8,000 refugees expected to return to Rakhine state where the Muslim minority has been persecuted for generations.

But the plan has courted controversy from the outset.

Rights groups and the UN have warned that conditions for their return are not close to being in place.

Refugees living in camps in southeastern Bangladesh have also resisted the idea, fearing they will not be safe if they return to Rakhine.

Close to one million refugees from the persecuted Muslim minority live in squalid camps in Cox&#39;s Bazar, having fled successive waves of violence in Myanmar&#39;s westernmost region.

Under the agreement, the first of a proposed 750,000 returnees were scheduled to begin crossing the border in late January.

But the process stalled, with Myanmar and Bangladesh blaming the other for a lack of preparedness for the huge undertaking.

Muhith said Myanmar would &quot;take 15 a day when there is one million&quot;, referring to the Rohingya in camps strung along the border.

&quot;They (Myanmar) are absolute evil,&quot; he added.

A UN human rights envoy said on Tuesday that Myanmar was continuing its &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot; of the Rohingya with a &quot;campaign of terror and forced starvation&quot; in Rakhine state.

Rohingya are still streaming across the border from Rakhine state more than six months after a Myanmar army crackdown sparked a massive refugee crisis.&nbsp;

"I do not believe that the Rohingya can be sent back," Muhith

A senior Bangladesh cabinet minister has accused Myanmar of obstructing efforts to repatriate roughly 750,000 Rohingya refugees, saying it was unlikely the displaced Muslims would ever return to their homeland. Finance minister AMA Muhith said the repatriation deal signed between Myanmar and Bangladesh in November would likely fail despite his government's official stance that the refugees must eventually go back. "I do not believe that the Rohingya can be sent back," Muhith, an outspoken minister from the ruling party, told reporters late Tuesday in Dhaka after meeting with a British charity. "You can speculate that very few will return to Burma. The first reason is that Burma will only take a few and secondly is that the refugees will never return if they fear persecution," he added, using another name for Myanmar. Bangladesh insists the repatriation process will go ahead, last month submitting to Myanmar the names of 8,000 refugees expected to return to Rakhine state where the Muslim minority has been persecuted for generations. But the plan has courted controversy from the outset. Rights groups and the UN have warned that conditions for their return are not close to being in place. Refugees living in camps in southeastern Bangladesh have also resisted the idea, fearing they will not be safe if they return to Rakhine. Close to one million refugees from the persecuted Muslim minority live in squalid camps in Cox's Bazar, having fled successive waves of violence in Myanmar's westernmost region. Under the agreement, the first of a proposed 750,000 returnees were scheduled to begin crossing the border in late January. But the process stalled, with Myanmar and Bangladesh blaming the other for a lack of preparedness for the huge undertaking. Muhith said Myanmar would "take 15 a day when there is one million", referring to the Rohingya in camps strung along the border. "They (Myanmar) are absolute evil," he added. A UN human rights envoy said on Tuesday that Myanmar was continuing its "ethnic cleansing" of the Rohingya with a "campaign of terror and forced starvation" in Rakhine state. Rohingya are still streaming across the border from Rakhine state more than six months after a Myanmar army crackdown sparked a massive refugee crisis.

Bangladesh minister says Rohingya repatriation unlikely to succeed

A German city has imposed a temporary ban on new refugees in order to curb the number of recent violence incidents, reports said on Sunday.&nbsp;

Cottbus, about 120 kilometers southeast of Berlin has seen violence from refugees and right-wing extremists since the beginning of the year.&nbsp;

Last week, Brandenburg state police informed that two Syrian teenage boys had been arrested after they attacked a German teenager in the face with a knife in a brawl. The boy had sustained some injuries, reports said.&nbsp;

Previous to that incident, a group of Syrian teenage boys had also attacked a couple outside a shopping center. Officials have stated that one of the boys a &ldquo;negative residency permit&rdquo; effectively ordering him and his father to leave the city.

Brandenburg&rsquo;s state interior minister Karl-Heinz Schroeter said that the ban would continue will the next few months and the city has planned some more safety measures including increased video surveillance, a larger presence of police officers and 10 new social worker positions throughout local schools.&nbsp;

Also, officers will be on round on daily foot patrols of the city from late afternoon to evening &quot;for as long as it serves its purpose.&quot;

Cottbus, a small university center with just over 100,000 residents, has taken in around 3,000 asylum seekers since embattled German Chancellor Angela Merkel opened the country to a large number of refugees in 2015.

Coupled with a lackluster economy, the influx has fueled anti-immigrant sentiment among German citizens, and Cottbus is home to one of the country&rsquo;s largest right-wing extremist scenes. 
&nbsp;

Cottbus, about 120 kilometers southeast of Berlin has seen violence from refugees and right-wing extremists since the beginning of the year

A German city has imposed a temporary ban on new refugees in order to curb the number of recent violence incidents, reports said on Sunday. Cottbus, about 120 kilometers southeast of Berlin has seen violence from refugees and right-wing extremists since the beginning of the year. Last week, Brandenburg state police informed that two Syrian teenage boys had been arrested after they attacked a German teenager in the face with a knife in a brawl. The boy had sustained some injuries, reports said. Previous to that incident, a group of Syrian teenage boys had also attacked a couple outside a shopping center. Officials have stated that one of the boys a “negative residency permit” effectively ordering him and his father to leave the city. Brandenburg’s state interior minister Karl-Heinz Schroeter said that the ban would continue will the next few months and the city has planned some more safety measures including increased video surveillance, a larger presence of police officers and 10 new social worker positions throughout local schools. Also, officers will be on round on daily foot patrols of the city from late afternoon to evening "for as long as it serves its purpose." Cottbus, a small university center with just over 100,000 residents, has taken in around 3,000 asylum seekers since embattled German Chancellor Angela Merkel opened the country to a large number of refugees in 2015. Coupled with a lackluster economy, the influx has fueled anti-immigrant sentiment among German citizens, and Cottbus is home to one of the country’s largest right-wing extremist scenes.

German city temporarily bans refugees amid violence cases

Attacks on Rohingya Muslims appear to be continuing in Myanmar and it is not yet safe for the hundreds of thousands living in refugee camps in Bangladesh to begin returning home, a senior United Nations official said.

Many Rohingya want to return eventually to their villages in Myanmar, UNICEF deputy executive director Justin Forsyth said on Wednesday during a visit to the immense Kutupalong refugee camp. But they fear for their safety if they were to go back now, he said.

&ldquo;The situation isn&rsquo;t safe for the returns to begin,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I spoke to one young woman who had been on the phone to her aunt in Rakhine in Myanmar. And they were attacking villages even today.&rdquo;

More than 680,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar&rsquo;s Rakhine state beginning in August, after Myanmar security forces began &ldquo;clearance operations&rdquo; in their villages in the wake of attacks by Rohingya insurgents on police posts.

Forsyth&rsquo;s comments came as former New Mexico governor Bill Richardson resigned suddenly from an advisory panel on the crisis, calling it a &ldquo;whitewash and a cheerleading operation&rdquo; for Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

&ldquo;She blames all the problems that Myanmar is having on the international media, on the UN, on human rights groups, on other governments, and I think this is caused by the bubble that is around her, by individuals that are not giving her frank advice,&rdquo; Richardson, once a close friend of Suu Kyi, said on Wednesday in an interview with The Associated Press in Yangon, Myanmar&rsquo;s largest city.

Richardson said Suu Kyi appeared to want the 10-member international advisory group, one in a string of Rohingya commissions set up by the Myanmar government, to endorse her policies.

&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not going to be part of it because I think there are serious issues of human rights violations, safety, citizenship, peace and stability that need to be addressed,&rdquo; said Richardson, who often works as an international troubleshooter. &ldquo;I just felt that my advice and counsel would not be heeded.&rdquo;

Gradual repatriations of Rohingya were to begin on Tuesday under agreements signed by Myanmar and Bangladesh, but Bangladeshi officials delayed the returns at the last minute, saying more time is needed amid questions about safety and whether the refugees were returning voluntarily.

Forsyth noted that international organisations do not have access to many areas affected by the crisis in Myanmar.

&ldquo;As well as security, we need to be able to provide humanitarian support for people when they return. And at the moment those conditions aren&rsquo;t in place,&rdquo; he said.

Rohingya have long faced repression in Myanmar. They are widely dismissed as having migrated illegally from Bangladesh and are denied some of the most basic rights, including the freedom of movement. In 1982, nearly all Rohingya were stripped of their citizenship rights.

Gradual repatriations of Rohingya were to begin on Tuesday under agreements signed by Myanmar and Bangladesh, but Bangladeshi officials delayed the returns at the last minute

Attacks on Rohingya Muslims appear to be continuing in Myanmar and it is not yet safe for the hundreds of thousands living in refugee camps in Bangladesh to begin returning home, a senior United Nations official said. Many Rohingya want to return eventually to their villages in Myanmar, UNICEF deputy executive director Justin Forsyth said on Wednesday during a visit to the immense Kutupalong refugee camp. But they fear for their safety if they were to go back now, he said. “The situation isn’t safe for the returns to begin,” he said. “I spoke to one young woman who had been on the phone to her aunt in Rakhine in Myanmar. And they were attacking villages even today.” More than 680,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar’s Rakhine state beginning in August, after Myanmar security forces began “clearance operations” in their villages in the wake of attacks by Rohingya insurgents on police posts. Forsyth’s comments came as former New Mexico governor Bill Richardson resigned suddenly from an advisory panel on the crisis, calling it a “whitewash and a cheerleading operation” for Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi. “She blames all the problems that Myanmar is having on the international media, on the UN, on human rights groups, on other governments, and I think this is caused by the bubble that is around her, by individuals that are not giving her frank advice,” Richardson, once a close friend of Suu Kyi, said on Wednesday in an interview with The Associated Press in Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city. Richardson said Suu Kyi appeared to want the 10-member international advisory group, one in a string of Rohingya commissions set up by the Myanmar government, to endorse her policies. “I’m not going to be part of it because I think there are serious issues of human rights violations, safety, citizenship, peace and stability that need to be addressed,” said Richardson, who often works as an international troubleshooter. “I just felt that my advice and counsel would not be heeded.” Gradual repatriations of Rohingya were to begin on Tuesday under agreements signed by Myanmar and Bangladesh, but Bangladeshi officials delayed the returns at the last minute, saying more time is needed amid questions about safety and whether the refugees were returning voluntarily. Forsyth noted that international organisations do not have access to many areas affected by the crisis in Myanmar. “As well as security, we need to be able to provide humanitarian support for people when they return. And at the moment those conditions aren’t in place,” he said. Rohingya have long faced repression in Myanmar. They are widely dismissed as having migrated illegally from Bangladesh and are denied some of the most basic rights, including the freedom of movement. In 1982, nearly all Rohingya were stripped of their citizenship rights.

Not safe yet for Rohingya to return to Myanmar, UN official says

Tensions mounted on Sunday at refugee camps in Bangladesh holding hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims over an operation to send them back to Myanmar, from where they have fled following a military crackdown.

Dozens of refugees stood holding cloth banners opposing their transfer as United Nations Special Rapporteur Yanghee Lee visited camps along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border over the weekend. Some refugee leaders said Bangladesh military officials had threatened to seize their food ration cards if they did not return.

Under an agreement signed last week, Myanmar is set to receive Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh at two reception centres and a temporary camp near their common border starting on Tuesday and continuing over the next two years.

The refugees refuse to go back unless their safety can be guaranteed and Myanmars grant their demands to be given citizenship and inclusion in a list of recognised ethnic minorities. They are also asking that their homes, mosques and schools that were burned down or damaged in the military operation be rebuilt.

Over 655,500 Muslim Rohingya fled to Bangladesh after the Myanmar military cracked down in the northern part of Rakhine state in response to militant attacks on security forces on August 25. The United Nations described the operation as ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya, which Myanmar denies.

Rohingya elders told Reuters that Bangladeshi army officials have called or met them over the last two days, asking them to prepare lists of families from their camps for repatriation. Four of them said they were among more than 70 camp leaders &ndash; representing thousands of refugees &ndash; who met army officers at the Gungdum camp on Saturday.

&ldquo;When we said we cannot provide the lists because people are not ready to return, they asked us to bring their WP cards,&rdquo; said Musa, a leader at the Gungdum camp, referring to relief cards provided by the UN&rsquo;s World Food Programme.

Rashedul Hasan, a spokesman for the Bangladesh army, said he was not aware of army men threatening to take away food cards.

Hundreds of refugees queue up at relief centres across the camps each morning to collect food using the cards. These centres are managed by the Bangladesh army.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has repeatedly said Rohingya returns need to be voluntary.

&ldquo;UNHCR has not been part of discussions (on repatriation) to date, but has offered support to engage in the process to ensure that the voices of refugees are heard,&rdquo; Caroline Gluck, a senior protection officer for the agency, said by email on Saturday.

&ldquo;The pace of returns should be determined by the refugees themselves.&rdquo;

The refugees refused to go back unless their safety can be guaranteed and Myanmar's grant their demands to be given citizenship and inclusion in a list of recognised ethnic minorities

Tensions mounted on Sunday at refugee camps in Bangladesh holding hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims over an operation to send them back to Myanmar, from where they have fled following a military crackdown. Dozens of refugees stood holding cloth banners opposing their transfer as United Nations Special Rapporteur Yanghee Lee visited camps along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border over the weekend. Some refugee leaders said Bangladesh military officials had threatened to seize their food ration cards if they did not return. Under an agreement signed last week, Myanmar is set to receive Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh at two reception centres and a temporary camp near their common border starting on Tuesday and continuing over the next two years. The refugees refuse to go back unless their safety can be guaranteed and Myanmars grant their demands to be given citizenship and inclusion in a list of recognised ethnic minorities. They are also asking that their homes, mosques and schools that were burned down or damaged in the military operation be rebuilt. Over 655,500 Muslim Rohingya fled to Bangladesh after the Myanmar military cracked down in the northern part of Rakhine state in response to militant attacks on security forces on August 25. The United Nations described the operation as ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya, which Myanmar denies. Rohingya elders told Reuters that Bangladeshi army officials have called or met them over the last two days, asking them to prepare lists of families from their camps for repatriation. Four of them said they were among more than 70 camp leaders – representing thousands of refugees – who met army officers at the Gungdum camp on Saturday. “When we said we cannot provide the lists because people are not ready to return, they asked us to bring their WP cards,” said Musa, a leader at the Gungdum camp, referring to relief cards provided by the UN’s World Food Programme. Rashedul Hasan, a spokesman for the Bangladesh army, said he was not aware of army men threatening to take away food cards. Hundreds of refugees queue up at relief centres across the camps each morning to collect food using the cards. These centres are managed by the Bangladesh army. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has repeatedly said Rohingya returns need to be voluntary. “UNHCR has not been part of discussions (on repatriation) to date, but has offered support to engage in the process to ensure that the voices of refugees are heard,” Caroline Gluck, a senior protection officer for the agency, said by email on Saturday. “The pace of returns should be determined by the refugees themselves.”

Tensions mount in Rohingya camps ahead of planned relocation to Myanmar

Pakistan has extended by two months the deadline for repatriation of Afghan refugees, giving a temporary relief to them amid a spike in violence in Afghanistan.

About 3 million Afghans have been living in Pakistan for decades. Nearly half of them are unregistered and staying in the country illegally.

The decision to extend the deadline for their return was taken by federal cabinet yesterday.

&quot;The cabinet approved grant of 60 days extension in the Proof of Registration (PoR) cards for Afghan refugees,&quot; said the statement.

The validity of legal refugee status for many Afghan refugees expired on January 31. This threw into doubt the future of these refugees.

Pakistan has extended the validity of PoR for the refugees at least six times in the past.

The Pakistani government says the country&#39;s economy &quot;has carried the burden of hosting Afghan refugees since long and in the present circumstances cannot sustain it further.&quot;

The 60-day extension came as Afghan Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak and National Directorate of Security chief Mohamed Masoom Stanekzai visited Pakistan to discuss bilateral ties.

The security situation in Afghanistan, where US-led coalition forces and the Afghan army continue to battle the Afghan Taliban for control of areas of the country, has been deteriorating in recent weeks.

On Sunday, at least 103 people were killed in a suicide attack in the heart of the capital Kabul.

A day later, at least 11 soldiers were killed when gunmen attacked a military academy, also in Kabul.

Afghanistan and the US have blamed Pakistan for allegedly providing safe havens to elements of the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani Network. Pakistan denies the charge, alleging that it is Afghan forces that offer sanctuary to elements of the Pakistani Taliban.&nbsp;

Pakistan has extended the validity of PoR for the refugees at least six times in the past.

Pakistan has extended by two months the deadline for repatriation of Afghan refugees, giving a temporary relief to them amid a spike in violence in Afghanistan. About 3 million Afghans have been living in Pakistan for decades. Nearly half of them are unregistered and staying in the country illegally. The decision to extend the deadline for their return was taken by federal cabinet yesterday. "The cabinet approved grant of 60 days extension in the Proof of Registration (PoR) cards for Afghan refugees," said the statement. The validity of legal refugee status for many Afghan refugees expired on January 31. This threw into doubt the future of these refugees. Pakistan has extended the validity of PoR for the refugees at least six times in the past. The Pakistani government says the country's economy "has carried the burden of hosting Afghan refugees since long and in the present circumstances cannot sustain it further." The 60-day extension came as Afghan Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak and National Directorate of Security chief Mohamed Masoom Stanekzai visited Pakistan to discuss bilateral ties. The security situation in Afghanistan, where US-led coalition forces and the Afghan army continue to battle the Afghan Taliban for control of areas of the country, has been deteriorating in recent weeks. On Sunday, at least 103 people were killed in a suicide attack in the heart of the capital Kabul. A day later, at least 11 soldiers were killed when gunmen attacked a military academy, also in Kabul. Afghanistan and the US have blamed Pakistan for allegedly providing safe havens to elements of the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani Network. Pakistan denies the charge, alleging that it is Afghan forces that offer sanctuary to elements of the Pakistani Taliban.

Pakistan extends Afghan refugees' repatriation deadline

The United States announced Monday it was lifting its ban on refugees from 11 &quot;high-risk&quot; countries, but said those seeking to enter the US would come under much tougher scrutiny than in the past.

Applicants from 11 countries, unnamed but understood to include 10 Muslim-majority nations plus North Korea, will face tougher &quot;risk-based&quot; assessments to be accepted.

&quot;It&#39;s critically important that we know who is entering the United States,&quot; said Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.

&quot;These additional security measures will make it harder for bad actors to exploit our refugee program, and they will ensure we take a more risk-based approach to protecting the homeland.&quot;

The 11 countries, hit with a ban in October in the Trump administration&#39;s revised refugee policy, have not been identified officially.

But refugee groups say they comprise Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Mali, North Korea, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.Speaking anonymously, a senior administration official told journalists that the policy of enhanced security assessments for the 11 countries was not designed to target Muslims.

&quot;Our admissions have nothing to do with religion,&quot; the official said, adding that there is &quot;nothing especially novel&quot; about tougher screening for countries deemed to have a higher level of risk.

Donald Trump has pursued a much tougher stance on immigrants and refugees from all countries since becoming president one year ago.

His predecessor Barack Obama set refugee admission in fiscal 2017, which began on October 2016, at 110,000.

When Trump took office a year ago, he slashed that to 53,000, a number that was cut again to a maximum of 45,000 in fiscal 2018.&nbsp;

But refugee arrivals this year could come in significantly lower than that, due to the backlog from the 120-day halt and a slowdown in processing because of generally tougher applicant reviews.

DHS would not explain what the tougher vetting measures for the 11 countries would include.&nbsp;

But all applicants are being asked to supply more detailed histories and evidence of their past activities, and many are having to allow access to personal electronics and social media accounts.

The move comes as Trump presses for a sharp turn in overall US immigration policy that critics say will result in a 50 percent cut in arrivals each year and bias admissions away from African, Asian and Muslim countries.

Last week, Trump proposed to end the 27-year-old &quot;green card lottery&quot; program that aims to diversify the source of immigrants, leading to an upturn in those from Middle Eastern and African countries.

He also proposed to tightly limit the family members who can join immigrants to only spouses and younger children. Until now, such &quot;chain migration&quot; could extend to immigrants&#39;&nbsp;parents, grandparents, siblings and extended family.

The White House said the policy was necessary to protect national security from terror and crime threats.

In return, Trump proposed a plan that offers 1.8 million young unauthorized immigrants known as &quot;Dreamers&quot; a path to citizenship over 10-12 years.

Democrats and Republicans are starting negotiations on those proposals, along with Trump&#39;s request for a $25 billion &quot;trust fund&quot; to build a wall on the southern US border to deter illegal border-crossers from Mexico.

Applicants from 11 countries will face tougher 'risk-based' assessments to be accepted

The United States announced Monday it was lifting its ban on refugees from 11 "high-risk" countries, but said those seeking to enter the US would come under much tougher scrutiny than in the past. Applicants from 11 countries, unnamed but understood to include 10 Muslim-majority nations plus North Korea, will face tougher "risk-based" assessments to be accepted. "It's critically important that we know who is entering the United States," said Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. "These additional security measures will make it harder for bad actors to exploit our refugee program, and they will ensure we take a more risk-based approach to protecting the homeland." The 11 countries, hit with a ban in October in the Trump administration's revised refugee policy, have not been identified officially. But refugee groups say they comprise Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Mali, North Korea, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.Speaking anonymously, a senior administration official told journalists that the policy of enhanced security assessments for the 11 countries was not designed to target Muslims. "Our admissions have nothing to do with religion," the official said, adding that there is "nothing especially novel" about tougher screening for countries deemed to have a higher level of risk. Donald Trump has pursued a much tougher stance on immigrants and refugees from all countries since becoming president one year ago. His predecessor Barack Obama set refugee admission in fiscal 2017, which began on October 2016, at 110,000. When Trump took office a year ago, he slashed that to 53,000, a number that was cut again to a maximum of 45,000 in fiscal 2018. But refugee arrivals this year could come in significantly lower than that, due to the backlog from the 120-day halt and a slowdown in processing because of generally tougher applicant reviews. DHS would not explain what the tougher vetting measures for the 11 countries would include. But all applicants are being asked to supply more detailed histories and evidence of their past activities, and many are having to allow access to personal electronics and social media accounts. The move comes as Trump presses for a sharp turn in overall US immigration policy that critics say will result in a 50 percent cut in arrivals each year and bias admissions away from African, Asian and Muslim countries. Last week, Trump proposed to end the 27-year-old "green card lottery" program that aims to diversify the source of immigrants, leading to an upturn in those from Middle Eastern and African countries. He also proposed to tightly limit the family members who can join immigrants to only spouses and younger children. Until now, such "chain migration" could extend to immigrants' parents, grandparents, siblings and extended family. The White House said the policy was necessary to protect national security from terror and crime threats. In return, Trump proposed a plan that offers 1.8 million young unauthorized immigrants known as "Dreamers" a path to citizenship over 10-12 years. Democrats and Republicans are starting negotiations on those proposals, along with Trump's request for a $25 billion "trust fund" to build a wall on the southern US border to deter illegal border-crossers from Mexico.

US lifts ban on refugees from 11 countries

Pope Francis&#39;s embrace of the Rohingya during a trip to Bangladesh has sparked some angry comment on social media in Myanmar, where just days earlier he chose not to publicly air their plight.

On Friday the head of the Catholic church met a group of refugees from Myanmar&#39;s stateless Muslim minority in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka.&nbsp;

He referred to them as &quot;Rohingya&quot; - a term unacceptable to many in Myanmar where they are reviled as alleged &quot;Bengali&quot; illegal immigrants rather than as a distinct ethnic group.

During his public addresses on the previous leg of his trip in mainly Buddhist Myanmar, Francis did not refer to the group by name or directly allude to the crisis in Rakhine state, from where over 620,000 Rohingya have fled since August.

His caution initially won applause from Myanmar&#39;s tiny Catholic minority - who feared a nationalist blowback - as well as from Buddhist hardliners, who are on the defensive after a global outcry about the treatment of the group.

A deadly attack by Rohingya militants on police posts in late August sparked a ferocious crackdown in Rakhine by the Myanmar military, which the US and UN describe as ethnic cleansing.

As he arrived back at the Vatican, the pontiff said he had taken up the Rohingya cause in private in Myanmar, also describing how he wept after meeting the group of refugees.

&quot;I wept: I tried to do it in a way that it couldn&#39;t be seen,&quot; he told reporters. &quot;They wept too.&quot;

The comments sparked a flurry of online anger in Myanmar, a country locked off from modern communications for five decades but which now has an active social media.

&quot;He is like a lizard whose colour has changed because of weather,&quot; said Facebook user Aung Soe Lin of the pope&#39;s strikingly different stances on the crisis.&nbsp;

&quot;He should be a salesman or broker for using different words even though he is a religious leader,&quot; said another Facebook user called Soe Soe.

Myanmar&#39;s Catholic church had advised Francis not to stray into the incendiary issue of the status of the Rohingya in Myanmar, in case he worsened tensions and endangered Christians.

In his public addresses he treaded softly on the topic, urging unity, compassion and respect for all ethnic groups - but not naming the Rohingya.

&quot;The Pope is a holy person... but he said something here (in Myanmar) and he said different in another country,&quot; another Facebook user Ye Linn Maung posted. &quot;He should say the same things if he loves the truth.&quot;

Others were more sanguine about Francis&#39;&nbsp;choice of language once he had left Myanmar soil.

Maung Thway Chun, chairman of an unofficial party of nationalists called the 135 Patriots Party, applauded the pope&#39;s decision not to name them in Myanmar despite pressure from rights groups.

&quot;It means he respects Myanmar people,&quot; he said. &quot;He even did not use the word many times in Bangladesh... I think he said it once, just to comfort human rights organisations.&quot;

Pope Francis referred to the refugees as 'Rohingya' - a term unacceptable to many in Myanmar where they are reviled as alleged 'Bengali' illegal immigrants rather than as a distinct ethnic group

Pope Francis's embrace of the Rohingya during a trip to Bangladesh has sparked some angry comment on social media in Myanmar, where just days earlier he chose not to publicly air their plight. On Friday the head of the Catholic church met a group of refugees from Myanmar's stateless Muslim minority in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka. He referred to them as "Rohingya" - a term unacceptable to many in Myanmar where they are reviled as alleged "Bengali" illegal immigrants rather than as a distinct ethnic group. During his public addresses on the previous leg of his trip in mainly Buddhist Myanmar, Francis did not refer to the group by name or directly allude to the crisis in Rakhine state, from where over 620,000 Rohingya have fled since August. His caution initially won applause from Myanmar's tiny Catholic minority - who feared a nationalist blowback - as well as from Buddhist hardliners, who are on the defensive after a global outcry about the treatment of the group. A deadly attack by Rohingya militants on police posts in late August sparked a ferocious crackdown in Rakhine by the Myanmar military, which the US and UN describe as ethnic cleansing. As he arrived back at the Vatican, the pontiff said he had taken up the Rohingya cause in private in Myanmar, also describing how he wept after meeting the group of refugees. "I wept: I tried to do it in a way that it couldn't be seen," he told reporters. "They wept too." The comments sparked a flurry of online anger in Myanmar, a country locked off from modern communications for five decades but which now has an active social media. "He is like a lizard whose colour has changed because of weather," said Facebook user Aung Soe Lin of the pope's strikingly different stances on the crisis. "He should be a salesman or broker for using different words even though he is a religious leader," said another Facebook user called Soe Soe. Myanmar's Catholic church had advised Francis not to stray into the incendiary issue of the status of the Rohingya in Myanmar, in case he worsened tensions and endangered Christians. In his public addresses he treaded softly on the topic, urging unity, compassion and respect for all ethnic groups - but not naming the Rohingya. "The Pope is a holy person... but he said something here (in Myanmar) and he said different in another country," another Facebook user Ye Linn Maung posted. "He should say the same things if he loves the truth." Others were more sanguine about Francis' choice of language once he had left Myanmar soil. Maung Thway Chun, chairman of an unofficial party of nationalists called the 135 Patriots Party, applauded the pope's decision not to name them in Myanmar despite pressure from rights groups. "It means he respects Myanmar people," he said. "He even did not use the word many times in Bangladesh... I think he said it once, just to comfort human rights organisations."

Myanmar social media anger after Pope says 'Rohingya'

Rohingya refugees who return to Myanmar from Bangladesh following a repatriation agreement will initially live in temporary shelters or camps, Dhaka said Saturday, a day after the UN raised concern for their safety when they go back.

The United Nations says more than 620,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since August and now live in squalor in the world`s largest refugee camp after a military crackdown in Myanmar that the UN and Washington have said clearly constitutes &quot;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-condemns-ethnic-cleansing-of-myanmars-rohingya-24870">ethnic cleansing</a>&quot;.

Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a repatriation agreement on Thursday which would pave the way for the return of the refugees at the &quot;earliest&quot; opportunity, according to the deal, which Dhaka released on Saturday.

&quot;Primarily they will be kept at temporary shelters or arrangements for a limited time,&quot; Bangladesh Foreign Minister A.H. Mahmood Ali told reporters in the capital.

The comments come after the UN refugee agency UNHCR on Friday raised concerns over the agreement, saying conditions to enable refugees to safely return to Rakhine State were not in place.

Under the deal, Yangon will &quot;encourage those who had left Myanmar to return voluntarily and safely to their own households&quot; in Rakhine State or &quot;to a safe and secure place nearest to it&quot;.&nbsp;

However most of the Rohingya villages were burnt during the violence, Ali said, and refugees would have no choice but to live in temporary shelters there.

&quot;There are no houses. Where will they live? It is not possible to physically (return to their own homes),&quot; he said.

Under the terms of the agreement, Myanmar will ensure temporary shelters are only a short-term option and that refugees` &quot;freedom of movement in the Rakhine State will be allowed in conformity with the existing laws and regulations&quot;.

More than 100,000 Rohingya have been living in grim camps for internally displaced persons since violence erupted in Rakhine in 2012.

Rohingya activist Mohammad Zubair told AFP that &quot;Rohingya people will never agree to voluntary repatriation if they are not taken back to their villages and their land returned to them&quot;.&nbsp;

He said Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a similar repatriation agreement in 1992, which led to the return of some 200,000 Rohingya to Rakhine, but unresolved problems, including the issue of citizenship, continue to fester.

The stateless Rohingya have been systematically oppressed by Myanmar, which has stripped the minority of citizenship and severely restricts their movement, as well as their access to basic services.

Myanmar`s government says Rohingya are interlopers from Muslim-majority Bangladesh, even though many can trace their roots in Myanmar back generations.

&quot;Unless we get citizenship in Myanmar, no way the Rohingya will this time return to Rakhine,&quot; Zubair said.

UNHCR has echoed the concerns of the Rohingya, saying all returns must include &quot;the informed consent of refugees&quot;.

According to the agreement, some 700,000 Rohingyas who have fled to Bangladesh since October 2016 will be considered for repatriation.

But that still leaves hundreds of thousands of Rohingya -&nbsp;some of whom fled Myanmar years or decades ago - in Bangladesh.

&quot;The repatriation of residents who crossed over to Bangladesh earlier will be considered separately on the conclusion of the present arrangement,&quot; the newly-signed deal said.&nbsp;

Impoverished and overcrowded Bangladesh has won international praise for allowing the refugees into the country, but has imposed restrictions on their movement and said it does not want them to stay.

The new agreement has already drawn criticism at home, with the main opposition party saying &quot;taking steps to repatriate Rohingyas without stopping repression and genocide in their homeland will be tantamount to pushing them to the hell&quot;.

Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a repatriation agreement on Thursday which would pave the way for the return of the refugees at the "earliest" opportunity, according to the deal, which Dhaka released on Saturday

Rohingya refugees who return to Myanmar from Bangladesh following a repatriation agreement will initially live in temporary shelters or camps, Dhaka said Saturday, a day after the UN raised concern for their safety when they go back. The United Nations says more than 620,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since August and now live in squalor in the world`s largest refugee camp after a military crackdown in Myanmar that the UN and Washington have said clearly constitutes "ethnic cleansing". Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a repatriation agreement on Thursday which would pave the way for the return of the refugees at the "earliest" opportunity, according to the deal, which Dhaka released on Saturday. "Primarily they will be kept at temporary shelters or arrangements for a limited time," Bangladesh Foreign Minister A.H. Mahmood Ali told reporters in the capital. The comments come after the UN refugee agency UNHCR on Friday raised concerns over the agreement, saying conditions to enable refugees to safely return to Rakhine State were not in place. Under the deal, Yangon will "encourage those who had left Myanmar to return voluntarily and safely to their own households" in Rakhine State or "to a safe and secure place nearest to it". However most of the Rohingya villages were burnt during the violence, Ali said, and refugees would have no choice but to live in temporary shelters there. "There are no houses. Where will they live? It is not possible to physically (return to their own homes)," he said. Under the terms of the agreement, Myanmar will ensure temporary shelters are only a short-term option and that refugees` "freedom of movement in the Rakhine State will be allowed in conformity with the existing laws and regulations". More than 100,000 Rohingya have been living in grim camps for internally displaced persons since violence erupted in Rakhine in 2012. Rohingya activist Mohammad Zubair told AFP that "Rohingya people will never agree to voluntary repatriation if they are not taken back to their villages and their land returned to them". He said Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a similar repatriation agreement in 1992, which led to the return of some 200,000 Rohingya to Rakhine, but unresolved problems, including the issue of citizenship, continue to fester. The stateless Rohingya have been systematically oppressed by Myanmar, which has stripped the minority of citizenship and severely restricts their movement, as well as their access to basic services. Myanmar`s government says Rohingya are interlopers from Muslim-majority Bangladesh, even though many can trace their roots in Myanmar back generations. "Unless we get citizenship in Myanmar, no way the Rohingya will this time return to Rakhine," Zubair said. UNHCR has echoed the concerns of the Rohingya, saying all returns must include "the informed consent of refugees". According to the agreement, some 700,000 Rohingyas who have fled to Bangladesh since October 2016 will be considered for repatriation. But that still leaves hundreds of thousands of Rohingya - some of whom fled Myanmar years or decades ago - in Bangladesh. "The repatriation of residents who crossed over to Bangladesh earlier will be considered separately on the conclusion of the present arrangement," the newly-signed deal said. Impoverished and overcrowded Bangladesh has won international praise for allowing the refugees into the country, but has imposed restrictions on their movement and said it does not want them to stay. The new agreement has already drawn criticism at home, with the main opposition party saying "taking steps to repatriate Rohingyas without stopping repression and genocide in their homeland will be tantamount to pushing them to the hell".

Rohingya to stay in temporary shelters after return from Myanmar

One person was injured when military trucks hit landmines in Myanmar&#39;s troubled Rakhine State this week, state media said on Friday, amid ethnic tension following an army crackdown that sent hundreds of thousands of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-military-denies-atrocities-against-rohingya-24141">Rohingya Muslims fleeing</a>.

More than 600,000 of the refugees have entered neighbouring <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/rohingya-can-return-only-if-myanmars-real-citizens-accept-army-24369">Bangladesh</a> since Aug. 25 attacks by Rohingya militants sparked the army operation. Killings, arson and rape carried out by troops and ethnic Rakhine Buddhist mobs since then amount to ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya, the United Nations says.

Three landmine blasts caused extensive damage to three military trucks in Rakhine&#39;s central Minbya township on Wednesday morning, the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper said.

The landmines were &quot;apparently targeting&quot; army convoys, it added.

Later that day, another landmine exploded near the village of Vethali in central Rakhine as seven military trucks passed, injuring one pedestrian but causing no damage to the vehicles, the paper said.

It was not clear who was responsible for the attacks. Several landmine explosions were reported near the area this year.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-panel-votes-to-hike-pay-of-h-1b-visa-holders-from-60000-to-90000-24410">United Nations</a> staff and aid workers have said they fear violence in northern Rakhine could spread to new areas as Buddhist villagers in more peaceful areas enforce a system of local apartheid that punishes people trading with minority Muslims.

Many in Buddhist-majority Myanmar see Rohingya Muslims as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, although many of the Rohingya can trace family for generations.

After the August attacks on police posts by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), which the government has declared a terrorist organisation, security forces unleashed a brutal counteroffensive in Muslim-majority northern Rakhine.

Even though <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/myanmar-army-chief-issues-controversial-comments-over-rohingya-muslims-6774">Myanmar </a>says military operations ceased on Sept. 5, hundreds of refugees have continued to cross the Naf river separating Rakhine and Bangladesh in recent weeks.

Separately, Myanmar security forces have arrested 19 men suspected of involvement in the August attacks and charged them under the anti-terrorism law, the newspaper said on Friday.

The landmines were 'apparently targeting' army convoys, the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper said

One person was injured when military trucks hit landmines in Myanmar's troubled Rakhine State this week, state media said on Friday, amid ethnic tension following an army crackdown that sent hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims fleeing. More than 600,000 of the refugees have entered neighbouring Bangladesh since Aug. 25 attacks by Rohingya militants sparked the army operation. Killings, arson and rape carried out by troops and ethnic Rakhine Buddhist mobs since then amount to ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya, the United Nations says. Three landmine blasts caused extensive damage to three military trucks in Rakhine's central Minbya township on Wednesday morning, the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper said. The landmines were "apparently targeting" army convoys, it added. Later that day, another landmine exploded near the village of Vethali in central Rakhine as seven military trucks passed, injuring one pedestrian but causing no damage to the vehicles, the paper said. It was not clear who was responsible for the attacks. Several landmine explosions were reported near the area this year. United Nations staff and aid workers have said they fear violence in northern Rakhine could spread to new areas as Buddhist villagers in more peaceful areas enforce a system of local apartheid that punishes people trading with minority Muslims. Many in Buddhist-majority Myanmar see Rohingya Muslims as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, although many of the Rohingya can trace family for generations. After the August attacks on police posts by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), which the government has declared a terrorist organisation, security forces unleashed a brutal counteroffensive in Muslim-majority northern Rakhine. Even though Myanmar says military operations ceased on Sept. 5, hundreds of refugees have continued to cross the Naf river separating Rakhine and Bangladesh in recent weeks. Separately, Myanmar security forces have arrested 19 men suspected of involvement in the August attacks and charged them under the anti-terrorism law, the newspaper said on Friday.

Myanmar military trucks hit landmines in troubled Rakhine, one injured

UN chief Antonio Guterres urged<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/tillerson-to-deliver-warning-in-myanmar-over-rohingya-crisis-24063"> Myanmar</a> leader Aung San Suu Kyi to allow <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-military-denies-atrocities-against-rohingya-24141">Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh</a> to return, when they met today at a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/asean-summit-modi-meets-several-world-leaders-24151">summit in the Philippines</a>, his office said.

The meeting added to global pressure on Suu Kyi to take action to end the crisis for the Muslim minority, with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson due Tuesday also to hold talks with her in Manila then travel to Myanmar.

&quot;The Secretary-General highlighted that strengthened efforts to ensure humanitarian access, safe, dignified, voluntary and sustained returns, as well as true reconciliation between communities, would be essential,&quot; a UN statement said, summarising comments to Suu Kyi.

More than 600,000 Rohingya have fled to neighboring Bangladesh in two and a half months.

The crisis erupted after Rohingya rebels attacked police posts in Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine state, triggering a military crackdown that saw hundreds of villages reduced to ashes and sparked a massive exodus.

Authorities have blocked independent access to northern Rakhine.

But journalists and UN officials have collected reams of testimony from <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/wion-morning-news-brief-november-13-2017-24142">Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh</a> describing soldiers and Buddhist mobs committing murder, rape and mass arson.

Following its first official investigation into the crisis, the army published a report this week in which it cleared itself of any abuses.

Nobel laureate Suu Kyi, a former democracy activist, has been lambasted by rights groups for failing to speak up for the Rohingya or condemn festering anti-Muslim sentiment in the country.

But she lacks control over the powerful military, which ruled the country for decades until her party came to power following 2015 elections.

The United States has been careful not to place blame on her and has focused instead on the army&#39;s role in the conflict.

Guterres and Suu Kyi met in the early hours of Tuesday morning, according to his office.

In a summit on Monday night with leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which Myanmar is a member, Guterres also voiced concern about the Rohingya.

He said the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya was a &quot;worrying escalation in a protracted tragedy,&quot; according to the UN statement.

He described the situation as a potential source of instability in the region, as well as radicalization.

The meeting added to global pressure on Suu Kyi to take action to end the crisis for the Muslim minority, with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson due Tuesday also to hold talks with her in Manila then travel to Myanmar

UN chief Antonio Guterres urged Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi to allow Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh to return, when they met today at a summit in the Philippines, his office said. The meeting added to global pressure on Suu Kyi to take action to end the crisis for the Muslim minority, with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson due Tuesday also to hold talks with her in Manila then travel to Myanmar. "The Secretary-General highlighted that strengthened efforts to ensure humanitarian access, safe, dignified, voluntary and sustained returns, as well as true reconciliation between communities, would be essential," a UN statement said, summarising comments to Suu Kyi. More than 600,000 Rohingya have fled to neighboring Bangladesh in two and a half months. The crisis erupted after Rohingya rebels attacked police posts in Myanmar's Rakhine state, triggering a military crackdown that saw hundreds of villages reduced to ashes and sparked a massive exodus. Authorities have blocked independent access to northern Rakhine. But journalists and UN officials have collected reams of testimony from Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh describing soldiers and Buddhist mobs committing murder, rape and mass arson. Following its first official investigation into the crisis, the army published a report this week in which it cleared itself of any abuses. Nobel laureate Suu Kyi, a former democracy activist, has been lambasted by rights groups for failing to speak up for the Rohingya or condemn festering anti-Muslim sentiment in the country. But she lacks control over the powerful military, which ruled the country for decades until her party came to power following 2015 elections. The United States has been careful not to place blame on her and has focused instead on the army's role in the conflict. Guterres and Suu Kyi met in the early hours of Tuesday morning, according to his office. In a summit on Monday night with leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which Myanmar is a member, Guterres also voiced concern about the Rohingya. He said the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya was a "worrying escalation in a protracted tragedy," according to the UN statement. He described the situation as a potential source of instability in the region, as well as radicalization.

UN chief meets Myanmar's Suu Kyi on Rohingya crisis

Blessed by calmer seas, several hundred more Rohingya Muslims on Thursday joined a multitude of refugees in Bangladesh, as calls grew for upcoming regional summits to exert more pressure on Myanmar&rsquo;s Aung San Suu Kyi to stem the crisis.

A Myanmar military operation has driven out more than 600,000 Rohingya since late August and the latest refugees to find sanctuary in predominantly Muslim Bangladesh say many thousands more are still trying to leave.

Ariful Islam, of Bangladesh&rsquo;s Border Guard, said about 200 people arrived on Thursday morning on the stretch of coast he commands at Teknaf, on the southern tip of Cox&rsquo;s Bazar district.

Abdus Sabir was among a group that came ashore at Shamlapur after a six-hour boat journey, the final leg of an escape begun weeks ago.

&ldquo;We fled because the military is still burning our houses,&rdquo; Abdus, who had abandoned his home in the Rathedaung region of Myanmar&rsquo;s Rakhine State, told Reuters.

Nearby, Husain Shorif, from the Buthidaung region, said he had rowed for four hours to help bring across 56 people on a raft cobbled together from bamboo and plastic jerrycans.

&ldquo;Some boatmen were asking for huge money we didn&rsquo;t have. So we made our own boat and came,&rdquo; Shorif said, adding that thousands more Rohingya were still stranded at Pa Nyaung Pin Gyi at the mouth of the Naf river.

A Myanmar military operation has driven out more than 600,000 Rohingya since late August and the latest refugees to find sanctuary in predominantly Muslim Bangladesh say many thousands more are still trying to leave.

Ariful Islam, of Bangladesh&rsquo;s Border Guard, said about 200 people arrived on Thursday morning on the stretch of coast he commands at Teknaf, on the southern tip of Cox&rsquo;s Bazar district.

Abdus Sabir was among a group that came ashore at Shamlapur after a six-hour boat journey, the final leg of an escape begun weeks ago.

&ldquo;We fled because the military is still burning our houses,&rdquo; Abdus, who had abandoned his home in the Rathedaung region of Myanmar&rsquo;s Rakhine State, told Reuters.

Nearby, Husain Shorif, from the Buthidaung region, said he had rowed for four hours to help bring across 56 people on a raft cobbled together from bamboo and plastic jerrycans.

&ldquo;Some boatmen were asking for huge money we didn&rsquo;t have. So we made our own boat and came,&rdquo; Shorif said, adding that thousands more Rohingya were still stranded at Pa Nyaung Pin Gyi at the mouth of the Naf river.

Reuters were unable to verify that claim as Myanmar&rsquo;s military has restricted access to northern parts of Rakhine, where it launched a clearance operation it says was aimed at Rohingya militants behind attacks on 30 security posts on Aug. 25, but which UN officials described as &ldquo;ethnic cleansing&rdquo;.

The storm of opprobrium over the humanitarian crisis will expose Myanmar to more diplomatic pressure, at least from leaders of Muslim-majority countries and the United States, during three summits hosted by Vietnam and the Philippines.

Suu Kyi, the de facto leader of Myanmar&rsquo;s less than two-year-old civilian administration, left on Thursday to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the Vietnam&rsquo;s central seaside resort of Danang.

Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for standing up to the generals who had ruled the country for nearly half a century, Suu Kyi now effectively shares power with them, under a constitution drawn up in 2008 when junta was still in control, and has little control over what they do.

After Friday&rsquo;s APEC summit, Suu Kyi will attend a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) grouping in Manila on Sunday, followed by an East Asia Summit in Angeles, just north of the Philippine capital.

Setting up a regional trade block, and concerns over North Korea&rsquo;s ambitions to become a nuclear-armed state are summit priorities, but New York-based Human Rights Watch beseeched them to ensure stronger action by Myanmar to end the crisis.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will meet Suu Kyi on Nov. 15 for talks on the Rohingya crisis, and they are expected to hold a joint news conference.

<h3>OUTCRY</h3>

&ldquo;World leaders shouldn&rsquo;t return home from these summits without agreeing to targeted sanctions to pressure Burma to end its abuses and allow in independent observers and aid groups,&rdquo; Brad Adams, Asia director of Human Rights Watch, said in a statement that referred to Myanmar by its old name.

Adams said the leaders should discuss how to investigate alleged rights abuses and atrocities in Rakhine, and refer them to the International Criminal Court in the Hague.

The rights group also urged the Security Council to impose an arms embargo, economic sanctions and travel bans targeting Myanmar military officials.

U.S. senators seek to adopt measures for the United States to impose such sanctions.

The Security Council this week opted for a strongly worded statement scolding Myanmar, as diplomats said China and Russia would have vetoed any resolution.

China has publicly supported the Myanmar government&rsquo;s efforts to &ldquo;maintain stability&rdquo; in Rakhine. The stance taken by China and other Southeast Asian governments fighting insurgencies by Muslim militants should spare Myanmar from any harsh spotlight in the summits&rsquo; final communiques.

&ldquo;On the Rohingya, the leaders will agree that there is no quick fix to the long-standing inter-communal problem with deep historical roots that needs to be carefully managed,&rdquo; an ASEAN diplomat told Reuters, adding that the group aimed to deliver $500,000 of relief supplies to Myanmar.

&nbsp;

<figure tabindex="-1">&nbsp;</figure>

A Myanmar military operation has driven out more than 600,000 Rohingya since late August and the latest refugees to find sanctuary in predominantly Muslim Bangladesh say many thousands more are still trying to leave.

Blessed by calmer seas, several hundred more Rohingya Muslims on Thursday joined a multitude of refugees in Bangladesh, as calls grew for upcoming regional summits to exert more pressure on Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi to stem the crisis. A Myanmar military operation has driven out more than 600,000 Rohingya since late August and the latest refugees to find sanctuary in predominantly Muslim Bangladesh say many thousands more are still trying to leave. Ariful Islam, of Bangladesh’s Border Guard, said about 200 people arrived on Thursday morning on the stretch of coast he commands at Teknaf, on the southern tip of Cox’s Bazar district. Abdus Sabir was among a group that came ashore at Shamlapur after a six-hour boat journey, the final leg of an escape begun weeks ago. “We fled because the military is still burning our houses,” Abdus, who had abandoned his home in the Rathedaung region of Myanmar’s Rakhine State, told Reuters. Nearby, Husain Shorif, from the Buthidaung region, said he had rowed for four hours to help bring across 56 people on a raft cobbled together from bamboo and plastic jerrycans. “Some boatmen were asking for huge money we didn’t have. So we made our own boat and came,” Shorif said, adding that thousands more Rohingya were still stranded at Pa Nyaung Pin Gyi at the mouth of the Naf river. A Myanmar military operation has driven out more than 600,000 Rohingya since late August and the latest refugees to find sanctuary in predominantly Muslim Bangladesh say many thousands more are still trying to leave. Ariful Islam, of Bangladesh’s Border Guard, said about 200 people arrived on Thursday morning on the stretch of coast he commands at Teknaf, on the southern tip of Cox’s Bazar district. Abdus Sabir was among a group that came ashore at Shamlapur after a six-hour boat journey, the final leg of an escape begun weeks ago. “We fled because the military is still burning our houses,” Abdus, who had abandoned his home in the Rathedaung region of Myanmar’s Rakhine State, told Reuters. Nearby, Husain Shorif, from the Buthidaung region, said he had rowed for four hours to help bring across 56 people on a raft cobbled together from bamboo and plastic jerrycans. “Some boatmen were asking for huge money we didn’t have. So we made our own boat and came,” Shorif said, adding that thousands more Rohingya were still stranded at Pa Nyaung Pin Gyi at the mouth of the Naf river. Reuters were unable to verify that claim as Myanmar’s military has restricted access to northern parts of Rakhine, where it launched a clearance operation it says was aimed at Rohingya militants behind attacks on 30 security posts on Aug. 25, but which UN officials described as “ethnic cleansing”. The storm of opprobrium over the humanitarian crisis will expose Myanmar to more diplomatic pressure, at least from leaders of Muslim-majority countries and the United States, during three summits hosted by Vietnam and the Philippines. Suu Kyi, the de facto leader of Myanmar’s less than two-year-old civilian administration, left on Thursday to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the Vietnam’s central seaside resort of Danang. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for standing up to the generals who had ruled the country for nearly half a century, Suu Kyi now effectively shares power with them, under a constitution drawn up in 2008 when junta was still in control, and has little control over what they do. After Friday’s APEC summit, Suu Kyi will attend a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) grouping in Manila on Sunday, followed by an East Asia Summit in Angeles, just north of the Philippine capital. Setting up a regional trade block, and concerns over North Korea’s ambitions to become a nuclear-armed state are summit priorities, but New York-based Human Rights Watch beseeched them to ensure stronger action by Myanmar to end the crisis. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will meet Suu Kyi on Nov. 15 for talks on the Rohingya crisis, and they are expected to hold a joint news conference. OUTCRY “World leaders shouldn’t return home from these summits without agreeing to targeted sanctions to pressure Burma to end its abuses and allow in independent observers and aid groups,” Brad Adams, Asia director of Human Rights Watch, said in a statement that referred to Myanmar by its old name. Adams said the leaders should discuss how to investigate alleged rights abuses and atrocities in Rakhine, and refer them to the International Criminal Court in the Hague. The rights group also urged the Security Council to impose an arms embargo, economic sanctions and travel bans targeting Myanmar military officials. U.S. senators seek to adopt measures for the United States to impose such sanctions. The Security Council this week opted for a strongly worded statement scolding Myanmar, as diplomats said China and Russia would have vetoed any resolution. China has publicly supported the Myanmar government’s efforts to “maintain stability” in Rakhine. The stance taken by China and other Southeast Asian governments fighting insurgencies by Muslim militants should spare Myanmar from any harsh spotlight in the summits’ final communiques. “On the Rohingya, the leaders will agree that there is no quick fix to the long-standing inter-communal problem with deep historical roots that needs to be carefully managed,” an ASEAN diplomat told Reuters, adding that the group aimed to deliver $500,000 of relief supplies to Myanmar.

Rohingya row to Bangladesh as Myanmar's Suu Kyi runs summit gauntlet

Myanmar warned on Wednesday that a scolding delivered by the U.N. Security Council could &quot;seriously harm&quot; its talks with Bangladesh over returning home more than 600,000 people who fled to escape a Myanmar military crackdown.

In a statement on Monday, the Security Council had urged Myanmar to &quot;ensure no further excessive use of military force&quot; and expressed &quot;grave concern over reports of human rights violations and abuses in Rakhine State&quot;.

Responding, Myanmar&#39;s de facto leader Aung Sang Suu Kyi, whose less than two-year-old civilian administration shares power with the military, said the issues facing Myanmar and Bangladesh could only be resolved bilaterally, a point she says was ignored in the Security Council statement.

&quot;Furthermore, the (Security Council) Presidential Statement could potentially and seriously harm the bilateral negotiations between the two countries which have been proceeding smoothly and expeditiously,&quot; Suu Kyi&#39;s office said in a statement.

In contrast, Bangladesh issued a statement saying Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali &quot;appreciated the recent statement of the UN&nbsp;Security Council&quot; during a meeting with a new resident coordinator of the United Nations in Bangladesh.&nbsp;

The Myanmar statement said Ali had been invited to Myanmar on Nov. 16 and Nov. 17, but Bangladeshi officials told Reuters that the earliest the talks were likely to take place was during the minister&#39;s visit for a regional meeting in the Myanmar capital of Naypyidaw on November&nbsp;20 and November&nbsp;21.

The two sides have to agree a process for repatriation of Rohingya, with Bangladesh reluctant to fall back on the drill used for the return of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar in the 1990s, as it wants a more lasting solution.&nbsp;

A senior Bangladesh foreign ministry official said the United Nations should be involved in the process this time.

&quot;For years, we tried to resolve this issue bilaterally with Myanmar, but it was in vain,&quot; the official told Reuters. &quot;This problem is not going to be resolved anytime soon. The UN&rsquo;s involvement in the process is a must.&quot;

A sour note was struck over the talks last week, as Bangladesh officials voiced outrage over Suu Kyi&#39;s spokesman casting suspicion that Bangladesh might drag its feet over the repatriation process in order to first secure hundreds of millions of dollars in international aid money.

Speaking at a conference for Commonwealth countries&#39;&nbsp;parliamentarians in Dhaka on Sunday, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called for more international pressure on Myanmar.

&quot;I would request all of you to discuss Rohingya issue with utmost priority and exert pressure on the Myanmar government to stop the persecution of its citizens and take them back at the earliest,&quot; she said.

US&nbsp;Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is due to visit Myanmar on November&nbsp;15, with moves afoot in Washington to table a bill calling for sanctions on Myanmar that specifically target the military and related business interests.

In a nod to China, the Myanmar statement said it appreciated the stand taken by some members of the Security Council who upheld the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of sovereign countries.

To appease council veto powers Russia and China, Britain and France dropped a push for the Security Council to adopt a resolution on the situation and the 15-member body instead unanimously agreed on a formal statement.

The United Nations has denounced the violence during the past 10 weeks as a classic example of ethnic cleansing to drive the Rohingya Muslims out of Buddhist majority Myanmar.

Rejecting that accusation, the military says its counter-insurgency clearance operation was provoked by Rohingya militants&#39;&nbsp;synchronised attacks on 30 security posts in the northern part of Rakhine State on Aug. 25.

Rohingya refugees say the military torched their villages, but the military say the arsonists were Rohingya militants. The refugees&#39;&nbsp;have given harrowing accounts of rape and murder. Myanmar says those accusations will have to be investigated.

Meantime, the exodus from Rakhine continues. Several thousand Rohingya reached Bangladesh last week, many wading through shallows on the Naf river on the boundary between the two countries, and some making a short, but perilous sea crossing in small boats.

On Wednesday, 52 Rohingya came ashore in Bangladesh on a raft lashed together from bamboo and plastic jerrycans, having been unable to find a boat to take them, Shariful Islam, a Bangladesh border guard official, told Reuters.&nbsp;

On Tuesday, border guards told Reuters of at least two other boats with 68 Rohingya reaching Cox&#39;s Bazar, where they would join the multitude sheltering in refugee camps.

Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner who defied the junta that ruled Myanmar for decades, has been pilloried abroad for not speaking out more forcefully to rein in the military.

Last week she visited Rakhine for the first time since the crisis erupted, meeting community leaders and seeing the efforts to deliver aid and return the region to some semblance of normality.

She has spoken of plans for repatriation centres at which refugees will have to prove they once lived in Rakhine, before being allowed to return. But having been classed as stateless by former junta rulers, Rohingya could struggle to pass the test.

In a statement on Monday, the Security Council had urged Myanmar to "ensure no further excessive use of military force" and expressed "grave concern over reports of human rights violations and abuses in Rakhine State".

Myanmar warned on Wednesday that a scolding delivered by the U.N. Security Council could "seriously harm" its talks with Bangladesh over returning home more than 600,000 people who fled to escape a Myanmar military crackdown. In a statement on Monday, the Security Council had urged Myanmar to "ensure no further excessive use of military force" and expressed "grave concern over reports of human rights violations and abuses in Rakhine State". Responding, Myanmar's de facto leader Aung Sang Suu Kyi, whose less than two-year-old civilian administration shares power with the military, said the issues facing Myanmar and Bangladesh could only be resolved bilaterally, a point she says was ignored in the Security Council statement. "Furthermore, the (Security Council) Presidential Statement could potentially and seriously harm the bilateral negotiations between the two countries which have been proceeding smoothly and expeditiously," Suu Kyi's office said in a statement. In contrast, Bangladesh issued a statement saying Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali "appreciated the recent statement of the UN Security Council" during a meeting with a new resident coordinator of the United Nations in Bangladesh. The Myanmar statement said Ali had been invited to Myanmar on Nov. 16 and Nov. 17, but Bangladeshi officials told Reuters that the earliest the talks were likely to take place was during the minister's visit for a regional meeting in the Myanmar capital of Naypyidaw on November 20 and November 21. The two sides have to agree a process for repatriation of Rohingya, with Bangladesh reluctant to fall back on the drill used for the return of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar in the 1990s, as it wants a more lasting solution. A senior Bangladesh foreign ministry official said the United Nations should be involved in the process this time. "For years, we tried to resolve this issue bilaterally with Myanmar, but it was in vain," the official told Reuters. "This problem is not going to be resolved anytime soon. The UN’s involvement in the process is a must." A sour note was struck over the talks last week, as Bangladesh officials voiced outrage over Suu Kyi's spokesman casting suspicion that Bangladesh might drag its feet over the repatriation process in order to first secure hundreds of millions of dollars in international aid money. Speaking at a conference for Commonwealth countries' parliamentarians in Dhaka on Sunday, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called for more international pressure on Myanmar. "I would request all of you to discuss Rohingya issue with utmost priority and exert pressure on the Myanmar government to stop the persecution of its citizens and take them back at the earliest," she said. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is due to visit Myanmar on November 15, with moves afoot in Washington to table a bill calling for sanctions on Myanmar that specifically target the military and related business interests. In a nod to China, the Myanmar statement said it appreciated the stand taken by some members of the Security Council who upheld the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of sovereign countries. To appease council veto powers Russia and China, Britain and France dropped a push for the Security Council to adopt a resolution on the situation and the 15-member body instead unanimously agreed on a formal statement. The United Nations has denounced the violence during the past 10 weeks as a classic example of ethnic cleansing to drive the Rohingya Muslims out of Buddhist majority Myanmar. Rejecting that accusation, the military says its counter-insurgency clearance operation was provoked by Rohingya militants' synchronised attacks on 30 security posts in the northern part of Rakhine State on Aug. 25. Rohingya refugees say the military torched their villages, but the military say the arsonists were Rohingya militants. The refugees' have given harrowing accounts of rape and murder. Myanmar says those accusations will have to be investigated. Meantime, the exodus from Rakhine continues. Several thousand Rohingya reached Bangladesh last week, many wading through shallows on the Naf river on the boundary between the two countries, and some making a short, but perilous sea crossing in small boats. On Wednesday, 52 Rohingya came ashore in Bangladesh on a raft lashed together from bamboo and plastic jerrycans, having been unable to find a boat to take them, Shariful Islam, a Bangladesh border guard official, told Reuters. On Tuesday, border guards told Reuters of at least two other boats with 68 Rohingya reaching Cox's Bazar, where they would join the multitude sheltering in refugee camps. Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner who defied the junta that ruled Myanmar for decades, has been pilloried abroad for not speaking out more forcefully to rein in the military. Last week she visited Rakhine for the first time since the crisis erupted, meeting community leaders and seeing the efforts to deliver aid and return the region to some semblance of normality. She has spoken of plans for repatriation centres at which refugees will have to prove they once lived in Rakhine, before being allowed to return. But having been classed as stateless by former junta rulers, Rohingya could struggle to pass the test.

Myanmar warns UN scolding could harm talks with Bangladesh on Rohingya crisis

Australia turned down on Sunday an offer to take 150 asylum seekers being held in an Australian-run detention centre in Papua New Guinea, where UN&nbsp;officials have warned a humanitarian emergency is unfolding.

About 600 men have barricaded themselves inside the camp on remote Manus island in Papua New Guinea, defying efforts by Australia and PNG to shut it. Food, running water and medical services were cut off by Australia five days ago.

Australian authorities want the men moved to a transit centre elsewhere on the island at the start of a process the asylum seekers fear will result in them being resettled in PNG or another developing nation. The men also fear violent reprisals from the local community.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Friday her country was willing to take 150 asylum seekers from among those held on Manus island and another camp on the tiny Pacific nation of Nauru.

Her Australian counterpart, Malcolm Turnbull, however said Canberra preferred to work through an existing refugee swap deal he negotiated with former U.S. President Barack Obama last year. Under that deal, up to 1,250 asylum seekers could be sent to the United States and Australia will in turn accept refugees from Central America.

&quot;We want to pursue those, conclude those arrangements, and then in the wake of that obviously we can consider other ones,&quot; Turnbull told Ardern during a media conference in Sydney.

Relocating the men on Manus island is designed as a temporary measure, allowing the United States time to complete vetting of asylum seekers.

Ardern acknowledged the two Tasman neighbours faced different immigration problems but said the offer remained open.

The camps on Manus island and Nauru have been key parts of Australia&#39;s disputed &#39;Sovereign Borders&#39;&nbsp;immigration policy, under which it refuses to allow asylum seekers arriving by boat to reach its shores.

Australia&#39;s offshore detention policies have been heavily criticised by the United Nations and human rights groups but are backed the centre-right government and the Labor opposition.

UN&nbsp;rights spokesman Rupert Colville told a news conference in Geneva on Friday about the &quot;unfolding humanitarian emergency&quot; in the Manus island centre, where asylum seekers have been reported digging wells to try to find water.

About 600 men have barricaded themselves inside the camp on remote Manus island in Papua New Guinea, defying efforts by Australia and PNG to shut it. Food, running water and medical services were cut off by Australia five days ago.

Australia turned down on Sunday an offer to take 150 asylum seekers being held in an Australian-run detention centre in Papua New Guinea, where UN officials have warned a humanitarian emergency is unfolding. About 600 men have barricaded themselves inside the camp on remote Manus island in Papua New Guinea, defying efforts by Australia and PNG to shut it. Food, running water and medical services were cut off by Australia five days ago. Australian authorities want the men moved to a transit centre elsewhere on the island at the start of a process the asylum seekers fear will result in them being resettled in PNG or another developing nation. The men also fear violent reprisals from the local community. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Friday her country was willing to take 150 asylum seekers from among those held on Manus island and another camp on the tiny Pacific nation of Nauru. Her Australian counterpart, Malcolm Turnbull, however said Canberra preferred to work through an existing refugee swap deal he negotiated with former U.S. President Barack Obama last year. Under that deal, up to 1,250 asylum seekers could be sent to the United States and Australia will in turn accept refugees from Central America. "We want to pursue those, conclude those arrangements, and then in the wake of that obviously we can consider other ones," Turnbull told Ardern during a media conference in Sydney. Relocating the men on Manus island is designed as a temporary measure, allowing the United States time to complete vetting of asylum seekers. Ardern acknowledged the two Tasman neighbours faced different immigration problems but said the offer remained open. The camps on Manus island and Nauru have been key parts of Australia's disputed 'Sovereign Borders' immigration policy, under which it refuses to allow asylum seekers arriving by boat to reach its shores. Australia's offshore detention policies have been heavily criticised by the United Nations and human rights groups but are backed the centre-right government and the Labor opposition. UN rights spokesman Rupert Colville told a news conference in Geneva on Friday about the "unfolding humanitarian emergency" in the Manus island centre, where asylum seekers have been reported digging wells to try to find water.

Australia turns down New Zealand offer to take asylum seekers barricaded inside camp

Under Hitler, Germany experienced the consequences of a nation caving into propaganda and hate speech. This may explain its government&rsquo;s urgency to enact a new law, known as the &ldquo;Facebook Act,&rdquo; in response to the recent alarming rise of hate speech online.

Canada is experiencing a similar rise.

Media marketing company Cision documented a six-fold rise - that&rsquo;s a 600 per cent increase - in the amount of intolerant and hate speech in social media postings by Canadians between November 2015 and November 2016. Hashtags such as #banmuslims, #siegheil, #whitegenocide and #whitepower were widely used on popular social media platforms such as Twitter.

Some analysts blame Trump. But Canadian media outlets shouldn&rsquo;t be too smug about their adherence to the practice of fair and balanced journalism.

A group of scholars at Ryerson University conducted a critical analysis of how the Canadian media covered the resettlement of Syrian refugees in Canada between September 2015 and April 2016. They found several news outlets played a major role in reinforcing the negative image of Syrian refugees and Muslims in the public eye.

The refugees were subject to &quot;othering,&quot; the practice of depicting nonwhite cultures as &quot;alien,&quot; and highlighting differences rather than shared values or interests. The new arrivals from Syria were stereotyped, criminalised (especially men) and perceived as passive, lacking agency, vulnerable, needy and a drain on government resources. Male Syrian refugees were viewed as security threats and female Syrian refugees as voiceless, oppressed and desperate.

My research study investigates the way youth view their role in society as it relates to refugees, and how they regard and interpret online propaganda.

The $74 million question

The European Commission recently announced a new set of guidelines and principles for online platforms to prevent content inciting hatred, violence and terrorism, and Twitter began implementing its new rules for fighting hate on Nov. 1.

Should Canada follow in Germany&rsquo;s footsteps and enact a law that would pressure social networks to remove offensive posts within 24 hours or risk fines of up to $74 million for failing to comply? Adopting new regulations forcing social media platforms to respond swiftly could be an effective intervention to halt the spread of hate speech online. However, it could also prove to be challenging, as moderators wade into complex language and often get it wrong. Ultimately, we need to adopt a systematic response to hateful and dangerous rhetoric online.

The German social media law has been the subject of criticism since it was announced. Some critics say the law is too broad while others warn it could be the executioner of free speech. The thin line between hate speech and free speech is the focus of many concerned Canadians.

In Canada, hate speech is addressed in the recently updated Criminal Code (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-46). However, the applicability of this law to online hate speech is a frequent subject of debate that produces conflicting conclusions. In particular, the Defenses section of the code outlines cases where the proponents of hate speech could be exempted.

Distinguishing hate speech from fear speech - speech originating from fear and masked with terms and expressions usually associated with hate - is by itself a great challenge. Motion 103 (M-103), which condemns Islamophobia in Canada, and was passed in the House of Commons this Spring, is perceived by some Canadians to be suppressing free speech.

How to stop hate online?

Extremist parties, politicians and their fans have all successfully taken advantage of social media platforms to spread messages filled with racism and intolerance - even incitement to radical views.

Right-wing activists and the movements they espouse now total more than 100 organised groups in Canada. They are more visible and also better connected than ever before.

Stopping hate speech and extremist views on social media may be an impossible mission.

Yet, a majority of Canadians get their news about politics through social media giants such as Facebook. Facebook says 84 per cent of young Canadians actively use the social media platform.

&quot;The essence of propaganda consists in winning people over to an idea so sincerely, so vitally, that in the end they succumb to it utterly and can never escape from it,&quot; said Joseph Goebbels, Hitler&rsquo;s minister of propaganda and national enlightenment.

According to the Shannon and Weaver Model of Communication, created in 1948 by mathematician and electronic engineer Claude Elwood Shannon and scientist Warren Weaver, every communication includes an information source, a message, a transmitter, a receiver, a destination and a noise source.

If we apply the communication model to online hate speech, we can identify the information sources as the propagandists, including extremist parties. They craft a simple, direct message such as &ldquo;Muslims are terrorists&rdquo; and transmit it through social media posts.

The destination is the audience the propagandists are focused on manipulating. This audience belongs to a whole spectrum, ranging from supporters of the idea to an audience that is outraged by it.

The receiver is the system used by the audience to decode the message and interpret it. The noise source includes the laws, acts, filtering and flagging strategies put in place to prevent the message from reaching the destination.

So far, it has been proven that the sender of hate speech is unstoppable and the noise source lacks efficiency since hate speech not only persists but also is on the rise.

Therefore, we must shift our tactics. We could, for example, focus on the receiver and the destination of the hate-filled message. We could teach the audience - youth in particular - how to withstand digital hate speech propaganda.

Youth need to be part of the solution

Conversations that characterise millennials as passive consumers of news with little and incidental exposure to world events could not be more wrong. A study conducted by the Media Insight Project in 2015 found youth between the age of 18 and 24 are &quot;anything but &#39;newsless&#39;&quot; passive or uninterested in civic issues.

Instead, they consume news and information in strikingly different ways than previous generations and their paths &quot;to discovery are more nuanced and varied than some may have imagined&quot;.&nbsp;Social media plays a large role in their news consumption.

Many youths are critical of media content and their choice of the information and the news they read online is far from random. They often see or experience direct or indirect racial discrimination online or witness unproductive, uncivil or disturbing Facebook discussions.

They recognise the agendas and algorithms behind the posts that pop up on their walls, and they hunger for an influential voice that would disrupt the discourses about issues that affect their lives.

Yet, fearing a backlash, a majority of youth choose to remain bystanders in an era where their social media presence and skills are needed the most. They remain &quot;power users (frequent users),&quot; instead of &quot;powerful users (influential users).&quot;

Youth could be our best candidates to be these agents of change, given their familiarity with social media. For this to happen, young people need to develop civic online reasoning and identify ways to leverage the power of social media for &quot;greater control, hate speech and ugly online conversations around Syrian refugees are mainly orchestrated to spread fear among people who might otherwise be members of actual or prospective welcoming communities. A campaign to counter propaganda, led by agents of change, is important to counterbalance the negative influence and allow host societies to make informed choices.voice and influence over issues that matter most in their lives.&quot;

They need to understand where their political tolerance and intolerance comes from and understand the concerns, emotions and values that generate public attitudes.

Many argue that education is not enough. However, equipping and empowering youth to disrupt the messaging transmitted by radical extremists or parties with racist agendas start with the pedagogy of understanding oneself.

The power of self-knowledge

My research study involved 126 in-depth interviews with 42 youth between 18 and 24 years old from Canada, the U.K., France, Belgium, Germany, Portugal, Italy, Poland, Greece and Lebanon. During the interviews, I engaged these young participants in the process of learning about themselves using tools I adapted from Personal Construct Psychology.

I wanted to understand how they viewed their role in the integration and inclusion of refugees in their societies, in a context where the image of refugees was deeply influenced by social media, especially after terror attacks.

I also wanted to discover what knowledge and skills they developed through the process of understanding themselves by identifying their construct systems - the &quot;lenses&quot; they used when decoding digital propaganda targeting sensitive and controversial issues such as the Syrian refugee crisis.

Through our discussions, each of these 42 young people had an &quot;aha moment.&quot;

Regardless of their geographical locations or the ways they experienced the refugee crisis and the recent terror attacks, they had the same sudden realisation. Not only could they control how social media influenced them, but they also had a role to play in shaping the image of refugees through what they shared online.

They became critical of media content. They developed empathy towards both refugees and people who rejected newcomers. They moved from passive bystanders to became confident agents of change, ready to play a leadership role in counterbalancing the digital hate speech propaganda against refugees.

To eradicate digital hate speech propaganda, we need to prevent propagandists from reaching their objectives.

Laws such as Germany&rsquo;s &quot;Facebook Act&quot; constitute one piece of the solution. The other key is to make sure audiences are trained to better withstand manipulation.

Our youth, once equipped and empowered, are our best candidates to disrupt the messages spread by propagandists and to pursue the mission of putting a stop to hate speech.

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-trump-effect-in-canada-a-600-per-cent-increase-in-online-hate-speech-86026" rel="nofollow" target="blank">original article</a>.

Anti-hate laws and self-awareness education for audiences is essential to eradicate digital hate speech propaganda

Under Hitler, Germany experienced the consequences of a nation caving into propaganda and hate speech. This may explain its government’s urgency to enact a new law, known as the “Facebook Act,” in response to the recent alarming rise of hate speech online. Canada is experiencing a similar rise. Media marketing company Cision documented a six-fold rise - that’s a 600 per cent increase - in the amount of intolerant and hate speech in social media postings by Canadians between November 2015 and November 2016. Hashtags such as #banmuslims, #siegheil, #whitegenocide and #whitepower were widely used on popular social media platforms such as Twitter. Some analysts blame Trump. But Canadian media outlets shouldn’t be too smug about their adherence to the practice of fair and balanced journalism. A group of scholars at Ryerson University conducted a critical analysis of how the Canadian media covered the resettlement of Syrian refugees in Canada between September 2015 and April 2016. They found several news outlets played a major role in reinforcing the negative image of Syrian refugees and Muslims in the public eye. The refugees were subject to "othering," the practice of depicting nonwhite cultures as "alien," and highlighting differences rather than shared values or interests. The new arrivals from Syria were stereotyped, criminalised (especially men) and perceived as passive, lacking agency, vulnerable, needy and a drain on government resources. Male Syrian refugees were viewed as security threats and female Syrian refugees as voiceless, oppressed and desperate. My research study investigates the way youth view their role in society as it relates to refugees, and how they regard and interpret online propaganda. The $74 million question The European Commission recently announced a new set of guidelines and principles for online platforms to prevent content inciting hatred, violence and terrorism, and Twitter began implementing its new rules for fighting hate on Nov. 1. Should Canada follow in Germany’s footsteps and enact a law that would pressure social networks to remove offensive posts within 24 hours or risk fines of up to $74 million for failing to comply? Adopting new regulations forcing social media platforms to respond swiftly could be an effective intervention to halt the spread of hate speech online. However, it could also prove to be challenging, as moderators wade into complex language and often get it wrong. Ultimately, we need to adopt a systematic response to hateful and dangerous rhetoric online. The German social media law has been the subject of criticism since it was announced. Some critics say the law is too broad while others warn it could be the executioner of free speech. The thin line between hate speech and free speech is the focus of many concerned Canadians. In Canada, hate speech is addressed in the recently updated Criminal Code (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-46). However, the applicability of this law to online hate speech is a frequent subject of debate that produces conflicting conclusions. In particular, the Defenses section of the code outlines cases where the proponents of hate speech could be exempted. Distinguishing hate speech from fear speech - speech originating from fear and masked with terms and expressions usually associated with hate - is by itself a great challenge. Motion 103 (M-103), which condemns Islamophobia in Canada, and was passed in the House of Commons this Spring, is perceived by some Canadians to be suppressing free speech. How to stop hate online? Extremist parties, politicians and their fans have all successfully taken advantage of social media platforms to spread messages filled with racism and intolerance - even incitement to radical views. Right-wing activists and the movements they espouse now total more than 100 organised groups in Canada. They are more visible and also better connected than ever before. Stopping hate speech and extremist views on social media may be an impossible mission. Yet, a majority of Canadians get their news about politics through social media giants such as Facebook. Facebook says 84 per cent of young Canadians actively use the social media platform. "The essence of propaganda consists in winning people over to an idea so sincerely, so vitally, that in the end they succumb to it utterly and can never escape from it," said Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s minister of propaganda and national enlightenment. According to the Shannon and Weaver Model of Communication, created in 1948 by mathematician and electronic engineer Claude Elwood Shannon and scientist Warren Weaver, every communication includes an information source, a message, a transmitter, a receiver, a destination and a noise source. If we apply the communication model to online hate speech, we can identify the information sources as the propagandists, including extremist parties. They craft a simple, direct message such as “Muslims are terrorists” and transmit it through social media posts. The destination is the audience the propagandists are focused on manipulating. This audience belongs to a whole spectrum, ranging from supporters of the idea to an audience that is outraged by it. The receiver is the system used by the audience to decode the message and interpret it. The noise source includes the laws, acts, filtering and flagging strategies put in place to prevent the message from reaching the destination. So far, it has been proven that the sender of hate speech is unstoppable and the noise source lacks efficiency since hate speech not only persists but also is on the rise. Therefore, we must shift our tactics. We could, for example, focus on the receiver and the destination of the hate-filled message. We could teach the audience - youth in particular - how to withstand digital hate speech propaganda. Youth need to be part of the solution Conversations that characterise millennials as passive consumers of news with little and incidental exposure to world events could not be more wrong. A study conducted by the Media Insight Project in 2015 found youth between the age of 18 and 24 are "anything but 'newsless'" passive or uninterested in civic issues. Instead, they consume news and information in strikingly different ways than previous generations and their paths "to discovery are more nuanced and varied than some may have imagined". Social media plays a large role in their news consumption. Many youths are critical of media content and their choice of the information and the news they read online is far from random. They often see or experience direct or indirect racial discrimination online or witness unproductive, uncivil or disturbing Facebook discussions. They recognise the agendas and algorithms behind the posts that pop up on their walls, and they hunger for an influential voice that would disrupt the discourses about issues that affect their lives. Yet, fearing a backlash, a majority of youth choose to remain bystanders in an era where their social media presence and skills are needed the most. They remain "power users (frequent users)," instead of "powerful users (influential users)." Youth could be our best candidates to be these agents of change, given their familiarity with social media. For this to happen, young people need to develop civic online reasoning and identify ways to leverage the power of social media for "greater control, hate speech and ugly online conversations around Syrian refugees are mainly orchestrated to spread fear among people who might otherwise be members of actual or prospective welcoming communities. A campaign to counter propaganda, led by agents of change, is important to counterbalance the negative influence and allow host societies to make informed choices.voice and influence over issues that matter most in their lives." They need to understand where their political tolerance and intolerance comes from and understand the concerns, emotions and values that generate public attitudes. Many argue that education is not enough. However, equipping and empowering youth to disrupt the messaging transmitted by radical extremists or parties with racist agendas start with the pedagogy of understanding oneself. The power of self-knowledge My research study involved 126 in-depth interviews with 42 youth between 18 and 24 years old from Canada, the U.K., France, Belgium, Germany, Portugal, Italy, Poland, Greece and Lebanon. During the interviews, I engaged these young participants in the process of learning about themselves using tools I adapted from Personal Construct Psychology. I wanted to understand how they viewed their role in the integration and inclusion of refugees in their societies, in a context where the image of refugees was deeply influenced by social media, especially after terror attacks. I also wanted to discover what knowledge and skills they developed through the process of understanding themselves by identifying their construct systems - the "lenses" they used when decoding digital propaganda targeting sensitive and controversial issues such as the Syrian refugee crisis. Through our discussions, each of these 42 young people had an "aha moment." Regardless of their geographical locations or the ways they experienced the refugee crisis and the recent terror attacks, they had the same sudden realisation. Not only could they control how social media influenced them, but they also had a role to play in shaping the image of refugees through what they shared online. They became critical of media content. They developed empathy towards both refugees and people who rejected newcomers. They moved from passive bystanders to became confident agents of change, ready to play a leadership role in counterbalancing the digital hate speech propaganda against refugees. To eradicate digital hate speech propaganda, we need to prevent propagandists from reaching their objectives. Laws such as Germany’s "Facebook Act" constitute one piece of the solution. The other key is to make sure audiences are trained to better withstand manipulation. Our youth, once equipped and empowered, are our best candidates to disrupt the messages spread by propagandists and to pursue the mission of putting a stop to hate speech. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

The Trump effect in Canada: A 600 per cent increase in online hate speech

Myanmar has blamed Bangladesh for delaying the start of a repatriation process for hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslim refugees, saying it feared Dhaka could be stalling until it receives multi-million dollars of international aid money.

More than 600,000 Rohingya have fled predominantly Buddhist Myanmar to neighbouring Bangladesh since late August to escape ethnic violence that accompanied a brutal military counter-insurgency operation after Rohingya militant attacks on security posts in Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine State.

Zaw Htay, a spokesman for Myanmar&#39;s de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, said Myanmar was ready to begin the repatriation process any time, based along the lines of an agreement that covered returns of Rohingya to Myanmar in the early 1990s.

He said Bangladesh had yet to accept those terms.

&quot;We are ready to start, but the other side did not accept yet, and the process was delayed. This is the number one fact,&quot; Zaw Htay, Director-General of the Ministry of the State Counsellor&#39;s Office, told journalists on Tuesday.

A memorandum of understanding on border liaison posts was signed with Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan following talks in the Myanmar capital, Naypyitaw, last week, but there was no progress on reviving the old agreement.

Zaw Htay linked the delay by Bangladesh to the money raised so far by the international community to help build gigantic refugee camps for the Rohingya.

&quot;Currently they have got $400 million. Over their receipt of this amount, we are now afraid of delaying the programme of deporting the refugees,&quot; he said in comments carried in a front-page article in the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper on Wednesday.

&quot;They have got international subsidies. We are now afraid they would have another consideration as to repatriation,&quot; he said.

Bangladesh government issued a statement last Thursday saying that Myanmar had not agreed to 10 points put forward by its minister at last week&#39;s talks, including the full implementation of the recommendations of an Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, chaired by former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, for a sustainable return of Rohingya.

Khan told Bangladesh media last Friday that the two sides were unable to form a joint working group but said it should be set up by the time Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali goes to Myanmar for talks on Nov. 30.

The Myanmar government has said it would accept the Rohingya once it was established that they had lived in Myanmar.

Zaw Htay said Myanmar was awaiting a list of Rohingya refugees from the Bangladesh side.

The United Nation&#39;s new interim resident coordinator for Myanmar began his new job on Wednesday. Knut Ostby, a Norwegian, has taken over the humanitarian and diplomatic role at a time of growing strains with the Myanmar government over the handling of the Rohingya crisis.

Meantime, while Myanmar and Bangladesh work out how Rohingya can eventually go home, the grim exodus from Myanmar continues.

Seven Rohingya, including three babies and two children, drowned trying to make the perilous sea crossing up the coast from Myanmar to Bangladesh earlier this week.

Given the horrors endured by many Rohingya now living in refugee camps it would be unsurprising if they were in no hurry to return to their old homes back in Myanmar.

U.N. investigators interviewing Rohingya living in refugee camps in Bangladesh said on Friday they had gathered testimony pointing to a consistent, methodical pattern&nbsp;of killings, torture, rape and arson.

A foremost concern for Myanmar as it prepares to scrutinise any returnees is the risk of Islamist militants sneaking into the country.

The group behind the Aug. 25 attack on around 30 security posts in Rakhine State was the Arakhan Rohingya Salvation Army, but other militant groups have jumped on the plight of the Rohingya to issue a call to arms.

Last week the media arm of Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) released a video to deliver a message from the group&#39;s leader, Abu Syed al-Ansari Abu Syed al-Ansari, repeating calls for a jihad to fight for the Rohingya.

The Myanmar government has said it would accept the Rohingya once it was established that they had lived in Myanmar.

Myanmar has blamed Bangladesh for delaying the start of a repatriation process for hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslim refugees, saying it feared Dhaka could be stalling until it receives multi-million dollars of international aid money. More than 600,000 Rohingya have fled predominantly Buddhist Myanmar to neighbouring Bangladesh since late August to escape ethnic violence that accompanied a brutal military counter-insurgency operation after Rohingya militant attacks on security posts in Myanmar's Rakhine State. Zaw Htay, a spokesman for Myanmar's de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, said Myanmar was ready to begin the repatriation process any time, based along the lines of an agreement that covered returns of Rohingya to Myanmar in the early 1990s. He said Bangladesh had yet to accept those terms. "We are ready to start, but the other side did not accept yet, and the process was delayed. This is the number one fact," Zaw Htay, Director-General of the Ministry of the State Counsellor's Office, told journalists on Tuesday. A memorandum of understanding on border liaison posts was signed with Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan following talks in the Myanmar capital, Naypyitaw, last week, but there was no progress on reviving the old agreement. Zaw Htay linked the delay by Bangladesh to the money raised so far by the international community to help build gigantic refugee camps for the Rohingya. "Currently they have got $400 million. Over their receipt of this amount, we are now afraid of delaying the programme of deporting the refugees," he said in comments carried in a front-page article in the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper on Wednesday. "They have got international subsidies. We are now afraid they would have another consideration as to repatriation," he said. Bangladesh government issued a statement last Thursday saying that Myanmar had not agreed to 10 points put forward by its minister at last week's talks, including the full implementation of the recommendations of an Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, chaired by former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, for a sustainable return of Rohingya. Khan told Bangladesh media last Friday that the two sides were unable to form a joint working group but said it should be set up by the time Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali goes to Myanmar for talks on Nov. 30. The Myanmar government has said it would accept the Rohingya once it was established that they had lived in Myanmar. Zaw Htay said Myanmar was awaiting a list of Rohingya refugees from the Bangladesh side. The United Nation's new interim resident coordinator for Myanmar began his new job on Wednesday. Knut Ostby, a Norwegian, has taken over the humanitarian and diplomatic role at a time of growing strains with the Myanmar government over the handling of the Rohingya crisis. Meantime, while Myanmar and Bangladesh work out how Rohingya can eventually go home, the grim exodus from Myanmar continues. Seven Rohingya, including three babies and two children, drowned trying to make the perilous sea crossing up the coast from Myanmar to Bangladesh earlier this week. Given the horrors endured by many Rohingya now living in refugee camps it would be unsurprising if they were in no hurry to return to their old homes back in Myanmar. U.N. investigators interviewing Rohingya living in refugee camps in Bangladesh said on Friday they had gathered testimony pointing to a consistent, methodical pattern of killings, torture, rape and arson. A foremost concern for Myanmar as it prepares to scrutinise any returnees is the risk of Islamist militants sneaking into the country. The group behind the Aug. 25 attack on around 30 security posts in Rakhine State was the Arakhan Rohingya Salvation Army, but other militant groups have jumped on the plight of the Rohingya to issue a call to arms. Last week the media arm of Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) released a video to deliver a message from the group's leader, Abu Syed al-Ansari Abu Syed al-Ansari, repeating calls for a jihad to fight for the Rohingya.

Myanmar blames Bangladesh for failing to repatriate Rohingyas

Turkey&rsquo;s Culture and Tourism Numan Kurtulmus has said his country will take measures to repatriate Rohingya refugees who are currently in Bangladesh.

Hundreds more refugees on Sunday walked through rice paddies from the Naf river separating the two countries into Bangladesh, straining scarce resources of aid groups and local communities already helping tens of thousands.Kurtulmus, said his country will stand beside Bangladesh to help resolve the Rohingya issue.

Later on the former Turkish deputy prime minister Kurtulmus had assured people for constructing 20,000-25,000 shelter homes for around 100,000 Rohingya refugees, where each of the homes will accommodate a family consisting at best six members.

Turkey&#39;s President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday he was pressing world leaders to do more to help Myanmar&#39;s Rohingya Muslims, who face what he has described as genocide.

Turkey has taken one step forward towards helping Rohingya refugees by assured people for constructing shelter homes

Turkey’s Culture and Tourism Numan Kurtulmus has said his country will take measures to repatriate Rohingya refugees who are currently in Bangladesh. Hundreds more refugees on Sunday walked through rice paddies from the Naf river separating the two countries into Bangladesh, straining scarce resources of aid groups and local communities already helping tens of thousands.Kurtulmus, said his country will stand beside Bangladesh to help resolve the Rohingya issue. Later on the former Turkish deputy prime minister Kurtulmus had assured people for constructing 20,000-25,000 shelter homes for around 100,000 Rohingya refugees, where each of the homes will accommodate a family consisting at best six members. Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday he was pressing world leaders to do more to help Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims, who face what he has described as genocide.

Turkey will take measures to repatriate Rohingya refugees

&nbsp;A total of 87,000 mostly <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/thousands-of-rohingyas-seek-safety-in-bangladesh-as-clashes-in-myanamr-intensify-19661">Rohingya refugees have arrived in Bangladesh since violence erupted in neighbouring Myanmar on August 25</a>, the United Nations said today, amid growing international criticism of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Thousands of the stateless Muslim minority have fled the mainly Buddhist nation and poured over the border since the latest round of fighting broke out, piling pressure on the already overcrowded camps in Bangladesh.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-bodies-wash-up-un-says-27000-rohingya-have-fled-myanmar-19767">Around 20,000 more were massed on the border between Bangladesh and Myanmar&#39;s western state of Rakhine</a> and waiting to enter, the UN said in a report.

Dhaka had stepped up border controls after the latest round of violence began 10 days ago, but the UN said recent arrivals reported there had been no attempt to stop them from crossing.

One Bangladeshi border guard told AFP the sheer numbers of people desperate to enter the country had made it impossible to stop the influx.

&quot;It is bigger than the last time,&quot; said the guard, who asked not to be named, referring to the influx of refugees that followed an outbreak of violence last October.

&quot;If it continues then we will face serious problems. But it&#39;s impossible to stop the flow, these people are everywhere,&quot; he added.

The UN said most of the new arrivals were in the squalid camps already housing hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees around the coastal town of Cox&#39;s Bazar.

But many lacked shelter from the heavy monsoon rains and an AFP reporter on the ground said hundreds of new makeshift shelters had sprung up on the outskirts of the sprawling camps in recent days.

&quot;It has been raining frequently since last week. We have to keep our children safe from being sick,&quot; said Amena Begum, a newly arrived mother of five.

Refugees in Cox&#39;s Bazar have alleged their families were massacred and villages torched by security forces and Buddhist mobs.

The latest clashes broke out when Rohingya militants attacked security installations.

Myanmar accuses the militants,&nbsp;which it describes as &quot;Bengali terrorists&quot;,&nbsp;of setting fire to Rohingya houses and those of other communities.

De facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a former political prisoner of Myanmar&#39;s junta, has come under increasing fire over her perceived unwillingness to speak out against the treatment of the Rohingya or chastise the military.

87,000 Rohingya refugees had arrived Bangladesh after violence erupted in Myanmar on August 25

A total of 87,000 mostly Rohingya refugees have arrived in Bangladesh since violence erupted in neighbouring Myanmar on August 25, the United Nations said today, amid growing international criticism of Aung San Suu Kyi. Thousands of the stateless Muslim minority have fled the mainly Buddhist nation and poured over the border since the latest round of fighting broke out, piling pressure on the already overcrowded camps in Bangladesh. Around 20,000 more were massed on the border between Bangladesh and Myanmar's western state of Rakhine and waiting to enter, the UN said in a report. Dhaka had stepped up border controls after the latest round of violence began 10 days ago, but the UN said recent arrivals reported there had been no attempt to stop them from crossing. One Bangladeshi border guard told AFP the sheer numbers of people desperate to enter the country had made it impossible to stop the influx. "It is bigger than the last time," said the guard, who asked not to be named, referring to the influx of refugees that followed an outbreak of violence last October. "If it continues then we will face serious problems. But it's impossible to stop the flow, these people are everywhere," he added. The UN said most of the new arrivals were in the squalid camps already housing hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees around the coastal town of Cox's Bazar. But many lacked shelter from the heavy monsoon rains and an AFP reporter on the ground said hundreds of new makeshift shelters had sprung up on the outskirts of the sprawling camps in recent days. "It has been raining frequently since last week. We have to keep our children safe from being sick," said Amena Begum, a newly arrived mother of five. Refugees in Cox's Bazar have alleged their families were massacred and villages torched by security forces and Buddhist mobs. The latest clashes broke out when Rohingya militants attacked security installations. Myanmar accuses the militants, which it describes as "Bengali terrorists", of setting fire to Rohingya houses and those of other communities. De facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a former political prisoner of Myanmar's junta, has come under increasing fire over her perceived unwillingness to speak out against the treatment of the Rohingya or chastise the military.

UN says 87,000 refugees arrive in Bangladesh from Myanmar

India is in talks with Bangladesh and Myanmar about its plan to deport around 40,000 Rohingya Muslims it says are living in the country illegally, a government spokesman said on Friday, with state governments told to form task forces for the purpose.

Tens of thousands of Rohingya have fled persecution in Buddhist-majority Myanmar to neighbouring Bangladesh since the early 1990s, with some of them then crossing over a porous border into Hindu-majority India.

New Delhi says only around 14,000 of the Rohingya living in India are registered with the UN refugee agency, making the rest illegal and liable to be sent back. India is not a signatory to UN conventions on refugees and no national law covers it.

&quot;These things are being discussed at diplomatic level with both Bangladesh and Myanmar,&quot; Interior Ministry spokesman K.S. Dhatwalia said.

&quot;More clarity will emerge at an appropriate time.&quot;

Junior Interior Minister Kiren Rijiju told parliament on Wednesday the federal government had directed state governments to &quot;constitute task forces at district levels to identify and deport the illegally staying foreign nationals&quot;.

Rijiju was in Myanmar recently to attend an event, although it was not clear if he discussed the Rohingya issue.

Officials in Myanmar could not be contacted immediately for comment.

Amnesty International has said deporting and abandoning the Rohingya would be &quot;unconscionable&quot;.

The Indian office of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said it was &quot;trying to find the facts&quot; about New Delhi&#39;s plans to deport them.

Rohingya are generally reviled in India, where its 1.3 billion people are fighting for resources and job opportunities. Nationalist, anti-Islamic sentiments have also fuelled hatred towards them.

More than 75,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since Oct. 9 after an insurgent group called Harakah al-Yaqin attacked Myanmar border police posts, prompting a huge security crackdown in which troops have been accused of murder and rape of Rohingya civilians.

A senior government official in Bangladesh, which has complained of being burdened by the heavy flow of refugees, said New Delhi was helping it solve the crisis.

The Rohingya in India live mainly in Jammu, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi in the north, Hyderabad in the south, and Rajasthan in the west.

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Jammu, the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir, India&#39;s only Muslim-majority state, drew widespread condemnation in April when it threatened to launch an &quot;identify and kill movement&quot; if the government did not deport Rohingya settlers there.

Tens of thousands of Rohingya have fled persecution in Buddhist-majority Myanmar to neighbouring Bangladesh since the early 1990s, with some of them then crossing over a porous border into Hindu-majority India

India is in talks with Bangladesh and Myanmar about its plan to deport around 40,000 Rohingya Muslims it says are living in the country illegally, a government spokesman said on Friday, with state governments told to form task forces for the purpose. Tens of thousands of Rohingya have fled persecution in Buddhist-majority Myanmar to neighbouring Bangladesh since the early 1990s, with some of them then crossing over a porous border into Hindu-majority India. New Delhi says only around 14,000 of the Rohingya living in India are registered with the UN refugee agency, making the rest illegal and liable to be sent back. India is not a signatory to UN conventions on refugees and no national law covers it. "These things are being discussed at diplomatic level with both Bangladesh and Myanmar," Interior Ministry spokesman K.S. Dhatwalia said. "More clarity will emerge at an appropriate time." Junior Interior Minister Kiren Rijiju told parliament on Wednesday the federal government had directed state governments to "constitute task forces at district levels to identify and deport the illegally staying foreign nationals". Rijiju was in Myanmar recently to attend an event, although it was not clear if he discussed the Rohingya issue. Officials in Myanmar could not be contacted immediately for comment. Amnesty International has said deporting and abandoning the Rohingya would be "unconscionable". The Indian office of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said it was "trying to find the facts" about New Delhi's plans to deport them. Rohingya are generally reviled in India, where its 1.3 billion people are fighting for resources and job opportunities. Nationalist, anti-Islamic sentiments have also fuelled hatred towards them. More than 75,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since Oct. 9 after an insurgent group called Harakah al-Yaqin attacked Myanmar border police posts, prompting a huge security crackdown in which troops have been accused of murder and rape of Rohingya civilians. A senior government official in Bangladesh, which has complained of being burdened by the heavy flow of refugees, said New Delhi was helping it solve the crisis. The Rohingya in India live mainly in Jammu, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi in the north, Hyderabad in the south, and Rajasthan in the west. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Jammu, the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir, India's only Muslim-majority state, drew widespread condemnation in April when it threatened to launch an "identify and kill movement" if the government did not deport Rohingya settlers there.

India in talks with Myanmar, Bangladesh to deport 40,000 Rohingya

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