18-12-2023 (JAKARTA) Police have apprehended a Rohingya individual in connection with the suspected human trafficking operations to Aceh. Recent reports suggest that Rohingya people have been coming to Aceh in search of employment rather than seeking refuge.
Banda Aceh Police Chief, Commissioner Fahmi Irwan Ramli, stated that they have interrogated several Rohingya individuals who have landed within the jurisdiction of Banda Aceh Police. These individuals claimed to be seeking job opportunities in Indonesia.
“However, based on recent interviews, it appears that Indonesia has become a destination for them to seek employment and a better life,” Fahmi said.
Out of the 137 Rohingya migrants who landed in Blang Ulam Village, Mesjid Raya District, Aceh Besar, on Sunday (December 10), he mentioned that not all of them possessed refugee identification cards from UNHCR. Fahmi explained that there were immigrants who were citizens of Bangladesh, not Myanmar.
“They departed from Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh, not to seek refuge or save themselves. Testimonies from witnesses during our questioning revealed that they came to the destination country with the aim of improving their lives and finding employment,” Fahmi clarified.
