IOM Regional Director (RD) for Asia and the Pacific, Sarah Lou Ysmael Arriola, concluded her week-long first official visit to Bangladesh, during which she emphasized the critical need for continued and adaptable support for Rohingya refugees and host communities, while calling for collaborative efforts to ensure safe, orderly, and regular migration. 

Throughout her visit, RD Arriola met with key government officials, UN and other relevant partners. She lauded the Government of Bangladesh for its commendable efforts in hosting nearly a million Rohingya refugees and its migration management. 

Since the influx in 2017, over 900,000 Rohingya refugees have sought refuge in Cox's Bazar District, where the Government of Bangladesh and the international community have provided humanitarian assistance. IOM has been providing lifesaving support to the refugees and host communities across all sectors, including site management and site development, shelter, water sanitation and hygiene, health, and disaster risk reduction. Additionally, IOM co-leads the response along with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).  

Arriving in Bangladesh on May 6, 2023, RD Arriola first visited the refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, where she observed the operations of IOM-supported health facilities, shelter distribution points, and the bamboo treatment facility, the largest of its kind in the humanitarian world. She also participated in discussions on human trafficking and visited the Rohingya Cultural Memory Centre (RCMC). The RCMC is a multidisciplinary initiative which provides an online community space, interactive gallery, digital archive, and web-based exhibition, and one of the first significant attempts to comprehensively document and preserve the heritage of the Rohingya people. 

"I am deeply impressed by the resilience and determination of the Rohingya refugees and the host communities in Cox's Bazar," said RD Arriola. "IOM remains committed to providing vital support to these vulnerable populations and working closely with the Government of Bangladesh and our partners to address the complex challenges they face." 

Every year, approximately one million Bangladeshis migrate abroad, among the 14 million nationals who have been employed overseas since independence. IOM has been supporting the Government of Bangladesh since 1992 in managing migration, focusing on migration policy and sustainable development, migration protection, immigration and border management, migration health, and migration data and research. ​ 

During her visit, RD Arriola also engaged with the Bangladesh UN Network on Migration (BDUNNM) and the UN Country Team to discuss emerging challenges and opportunities in migration management. She also met with several high-level government officials, including Minister Imran Ahmad M.P., Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, Foreign Secretary Ambassador Masud Bin Momen, and Dr. Md. Mustafizur Rahman, PAA, Secretary of the Public Security Division, Ministry of Home Affairs, among others. These meetings provided an opportunity to reaffirm IOM's commitment to supporting the government's efforts to manage migration effectively and promote sustainable development. 

On 12 May, RD Arriola also joined senior government officials at Dhaka’s international airport to welcome 239 Bangladeshi migrants who had been evacuated from conflict-affected Sudan. IOM is working very closely with the Government to evacuate as many Bangladeshis from Sudan as possible. As of 13 May, nearly 700 had been evacuated. 

Abdusattor Esoev, Chief of Mission, IOM Bangladesh, who accompanied RD Arriola throughout her visit said, "The Regional Director’s visit affirms our strong partnership with the Government of Bangladesh and the continued collaboration with our UN and other development partners. Together, we can ensure safe, orderly, and regular migration for the benefit of all." 

As the visit concluded, RD Arriola expressed her appreciation for the dedication and hard work of the IOM staff in Bangladesh. She reiterated IOM's commitment to collaborating with the government and other partners to address the migration challenges facing the country and the region. 

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For more information, please contact:   

In Dhaka 

Md Sariful Islam, Tel: +8801915631608, Email: mdsislam@iom.int 

In Cox’s Bazar: 

Tarek Mahmud, Tel: +880 1752-380240, Email elizama@iom.int  

In Bangkok:  

Itayi Viriri, Tel: +66 65 939 0934, Email: iviriri@iom.int