Highlights 1-31 December 2015
Bangladesh: During December, IOM provided return assistance including food and onward transportation to 116 Bangladeshis under IOM’s Assisted Voluntary Return (AVR) Programme. As of 31 December, the total number of returnees is 2,382. To date IOM has provided return assistance to 2,326 Bangladeshi nationals including reinsertion grant for 1,642 Bangladeshis.
Indonesia: As of 31 December 2015, there are a total of 371 migrants (30 Bangladeshis and 341 Myanmar Muslims from Rakhine State) throughout five shelters in Aceh and North Sumatera. 36 Bangladeshis returned under IOM’s AVR Programme in December. Under the programme, IOM has assisted 743 migrants with their return to their home country.
Myanmar: The final repatriation of 48 migrants took place on 2 December. Following this repatriation, all of the remaining 28 migrants in Taung Pyo escaped on the evenings of 2 December and 10 December. There are no longer any migrants in Taung Pyo and IOM and partners have stopped their operations.
Thailand: As of December, 425 Myanmar Muslims from Rakhine state and 250 Bangladeshi nationals remain in Thailand. Out of the total beneficiaries, 140 are minors under 18 and 159 have been idenfied as victims of traficking by the Thai government. In December, 32 Bangladeshis returned under IOM’s AVR Programme. 66 Bangladeshi detainees were transferred from local IDCs to the Bangkok IDC for repatriation process.