In response to media queries regarding reports about the return of a group of Rohingyas to Bangladesh, on 17 February 2010, Ms. Vimon Kidchob, Director-General of the Department of Information and the Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson, stated the following:
1. On 17 February 2010, twenty-eight individuals who entered into Thailand illegally as part of a larger group and were detained at the Immigration Detention Centre in Bangkok have returned to Bangladesh. This is in addition to one other person who had returned earlier on 21 December 2009. All 29 returning migrants from Bangladesh had been interviewed by officials from the Embassy of Bangladesh in Bangkok, which issued them with travel documents.
2. The return was witnessed by representatives from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and was facilitated by the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) — a humanitarian organization which sponsored the airfares of the returnees. Furthermore, after their arrival in Bangladesh their onward journey back to their areas of origin was assured. The cooperation of the Bangladeshi authorities throughout the process was greatly appreciated.
3. The Thai Government fully realizes the complexity of the issue of irregular movements of people, which requires cooperation among countries of origin, transit and destination at the bilateral, regional and multilateral levels to address in a sustainable manner. In the longer term, for a lasting solution to be achieved, the root cause of the problem would have to be addressed, including the situation of such illegal migrants in their areas of origin.
For further information, please contact the Press Division, Department of Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tel.02-6435170, Fax.02-6435169, E-mail: div0704@mfa.go.th