Born Without a Country
Statelessness and the Human Rights Crisis Facing Rohingya Children
Clement Lau
In the world’s largest refugee camp, Kutupalong in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, children race through dusty lanes between bamboo shelters. Behind their dashing smiles, however, lies the cruel reality: these are the Rohingya, a Muslim minority from Myanmar, and the world’s largest stateless population. Not only do Rohingya children suffer from constant trauma due to displacement, but they also endure the deprivation that comes with statelessness - a lack of legal identity and denial of basic human rights.
Statelessness is not only a bureaucratic issue; it is one of the most pressing children’s rights issues facing the world today. Rohingya children born throughout the years have long suffered from state abuse. In 1982, under the 1982 Citizenship Law, they were stripped of Burmese citizenship, rendering them invisible under legal safeguards. By stripping away its own citizens of citizenship, the Burmese government directly violated Article 15 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “Everyone has the right to a nationality.” This was worsened in 2017, when armed attacks, massive scale violence, and serious human rights violations forced nearly half a million Rohingya children to seek refuge in Kutupalong. This only deepened the human rights crisis experienced by Rohingya children, for profound reasons to be explored below.
Crucially, statelessness denies Rohingya children mere proof of existence. The Burmese government does not issue them birth certificates; they are erased from the records of any state. They are unable to participate in society, and do not have access to legal safeguards that are provided to other children.
Without nationality, Rohingya children do not have access to formal education in refugee camps, while the makeshift learning centres they can access do not have the proper resources and trained teachers. Therefore, Rohingya children have little hope of gaining adequate skills that would allow them to improve their future.
Healthcare is another issue that arises due to statelessness. The combination of fragile shelters and relentless rains turns the camps into breeding grounds for diseases like hepatitis, malaria, and dengue. However, as undocumented refugees, Rohingya children do not have easy access to Bangladesh’s healthcare system. While humanitarian organisations aim to fill this gap, their services are unreliable due to the fluctuating environment in refugee camps. On top of that, trauma of violence, displacement and the death of loved ones haunts many young minds, leading to a heavy psychological burden on top of their crippling physical health.
Statelessness also makes Rohingya children vulnerable to exploitation. Without legal protection, they are at higher risk of trafficking, child labour, and early marriage. This violates their right to safety and a childhood free from harm, yet remains out of reach for too many Rohingya children.
Despite these challenges, hope and resilience persist. Humanitarian organisations and charities, such as UNICEF and UNHCR, work tirelessly to support Rohingya children, offering informal education and emergency healthcare services. Yet, the scale of the crisis overwhelms available resources. Without official recognition of their status, this legal limbo will only persist on and on.
The future of these children depends on the hands of the international community. Without action, such as pressuring Myanmar to restore citizenship, increasing support for education and healthcare, and protecting children from exploitation, Rohingya children will never gain basic rights to education, healthcare and safety. For the Rohingya children of Kutupalong, the right to belong is not just a legal technicality. It is the foundation of hope itself.
References
