Rohingya endure Years of Statelessness" "No Passport, No Visa, denied Citizenship of the country.

Date: 02-Sep-2025.

The Rohingya: A Stateless Nation Struggling to Survive Across Borders and the Rohingya, one of the world’s largest stateless communities, continue to endure persecution, displacement,and uncertainty more than a decade after mass killings forced hundreds of thousands from Myanmar’s Rakhine State.

In Malaysia, immigration raids on undocumented people have left many Rohingya refugees in hiding. Among them is Mohammed Kobir, who fled Myanmar in 2012 after surviving ethnic violence.

Kobir told us that “I was born into a stateless family. The Burmese government denies us citizenship, So, we cannot make passports or apply for visas,” Kobir told reporters.

Unlike his sister, Noor Bahar, who holds a UNHCR refugee card, Kobir remains undocumented. Recent crackdowns by Malaysian immigration police have forced him into forested areas to avoid arrest, where he now lives in worsening health.

Kobir’s family, like many Rohingya families, has been split apart. His other younger sister lives in Balukhali 01 Refugee Camp (8E) in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar. “We cannot live in Myanmar, and without papers we cannot survive here. We are helpless,” Kobir said.

Denied Citizenship at Home, Unprotected Abroad.

The Rohingya, a Muslim minority in Myanmar, were effectively stripped of nationality under the 1982 Citizenship Law. Branded as “illegal immigrants” despite centuries of history in Rakhine/Arakan State, they have faced state-led discrimination, massacres, and forced displacement.

Since 2017, newly million Rohingya have been confined in overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh. Thousands More risk dangerous sea journeys to Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand, where they face arrest, detention, or exploitation.

Malaysia hosts an estimated 180,000 Rohingya, but as it is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, refugees are denied legal protection. While some hold UNHCR cards, many remain undocumented, leaving them vulnerable to arbitrary arrest, extortion, and abuse.

A Stateless Future

Human rights groups warn that until Myanmar restores citizenship rights to the Rohingya, their suffering will continue. Without passports, legal identity, or recognition, they remain trapped in a cycle of displacement and abuse.

For Kobir, the plea is simple:

“Please help us stay in Malaysia until our country restores our citizenship rights and allows us to return home in safety.”

• The Rohingya, an ethnic and religious minority from Myanmar’s Rakhine State, have faced decades of systematic discrimination.

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• The 1982 Myanmar Citizenship Law excluded Rohingya from recognized ethnic groups, effectively rendering them stateless.

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• Repeated military campaigns (1978, 1991, 2012, 2017) forced mass displacement described by the United Nations as “ethnic cleansing.”

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2. Current Situation

• Bangladesh: more than 1 millions Rohingya live in Cox’s Bazar refugee camps without pathways to citizenship, education, or freedom of movement.

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• Malaysia: Around 180,000 Rohingya live as undocumented refugees. Malaysia does not recognize refugee status, leaving many vulnerable to detention.

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• Case Study, Mohammed Kobir:

  • Fled Myanmar in 2012 with his sister.

  • Sister obtained a UNHCR card; Kobir remains undocumented.Currently in hiding due to immigration raids; living in worsening health conditions.

  • Family separated across Malaysia and Bangladesh.

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3. Human Rights Violations

• Denial of Citizenship: No legal identity, no passports, no access to basic rights.

• Arbitrary Arrest and Detention: Immigration raids in Malaysia disproportionately target undocumented Rohingya.

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• Lack of Protection in Host States: Without refugee status recognition, Rohingya face exploitation in labor markets, barriers to healthcare, and restricted movement.

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• Family Separation: Rohingya families are scattered across borders due to lack of legal migration, everyone has the right to a nationality.

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• 1951 Refugee Convention: Malaysia is not a signatory, leaving Rohingya without guaranteed protection.

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• Genocide Convention (1948): Myanmar’s actions against Rohingya may amount to genocide, as recognized by the UN.

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• The Government of Myanmar:

• Repeal or amend the 1982 Citizenship Law to restore Rohingya citizenship.

• Ensure safe, voluntary, and dignified return of Rohingya refugees in Arakan, Rakhine State. 

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To the Government of Malaysia:

• Halt arbitrary detention of Rohingya.

• Expand cooperation with UNHCR to register all Rohingya and Provide legal status and access to healthcare, education, and employment.

  
  

To the International Community:

• Increase resettlement quotas for Rohingya refugees in South Asia. 

  
  

• Rohingya appeal to the world doner to Support Bangladesh and Malaysia with funding for refugee protection and continue investigations into crimes against humanity and possible genocide in Myanmar.

  
  

• The Rohingya remain trapped in a cycle of statelessness and persecution. Without urgent reforms in Myanmar and stronger protection from host countries, refugees like Mohammed Kobir will continue to live in hiding, fear, and despair.

  
  

• Reports by Rohingya Political Journalist Saiful Arakani.