Indonesia Detects Five More Boats Carrying Likely Rohingya Refugees

This marks the latest in a surge of arrivals since November, prompting intensified patrols and an appeal for international assistance.

Indonesian authorities have detected at least five boats packed with refugees, most likely Rohingya, approaching the shores of Aceh province.
Indonesia has seen a surge in Rohingya refugees arriving since November, leading to intensified patrols of its waters.
Indonesia, which is not a signatory to the United Nations' 1951 Refugee Convention, has appealed to the international community for help after more than 1,500 Rohingya refugees arrived on its shores since November.
Despite a surge of anti-Rohingya sentiment in 2023, especially in Aceh, President Joko Widodo’s government has pledged to continue providing temporary humanitarian aid to the refugees.
About 740,000 Rohingya were resettled in Bangladesh after fleeing their homes in Myanmar in 2017 due to a brutal counterinsurgency campaign by security forces.