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SITUATION OVERVIEW
The humanitarian crisis in Myanmar’s Rakhine state has escalated, with over 3.5 million internally displaced until 2025 and over 1.3 million refugees and asylum-seekers from Myanmar in neighbouring countries as of late 2024 (UNHCR, 2024). Over 1 million Rohingya refugees live in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, where dwindling resources, overcrowding, and insecurity heighten their vulnerabilities. With limited prospects and ongoing conflict in their homeland, many feel compelled to undertake dangerous migration routes in search of safety.
Rohingya refugees attempting to reach Malaysia and Indonesia face significant risks, whether travelling by land through Myanmar, Thailand, and Malaysia or by sea, embarking on long and treacherous journeys from Bangladesh to the Malacca Strait. Since 2023, Rohingya sea and river journeys have increased sharply, with approximately 4,500 individuals undertaking perilous crossings in Southeast Asian waters. According to a UNHCR report, around 569 people were reported dead or missing, marking the highest toll recorded since 2014.
Over the past two years, Indonesia has seen a surge in refugee arrivals, with boats landing in remote coastal areas of Aceh and North Sumatra. Between October 2023 and September 2025, IOM documented 22 boats carrying more than 2,900 refugees. Since October 2020, over 4,000 individuals have arrived, though the actual number is likely much higher, as most arrivals since January 2025 have gone undetected.
Refugees who do reach Indonesia, reportedly often endure further hardship-many are held captive by smugglers in Medan and Pekanbaru, facing extortion, violence, and abuse if they fail to pay ransoms. Women and children who make up 76 per cent of the Rohingya population-are particularly vulnerable to gender-based violence (GBV), including sexual exploitation, and forced child marriages, subsequently inflicting psychological distress.
Despite not being a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, Indonesia remains the only country in the region that permits refugee disembarkation on humanitarian grounds. However, the growing influx and recent anti-refugee social media campaigns have quickly deteriorated public support. With no viable prospects for return or other durable solutions, Rohingya refugees in Indonesia remain exposed to serious protection concerns including human smuggling, trafficking, and dangerous onward journeys at sea.
Particularly vulnerable groups, such as female-headed households, unaccompanied minors, and individuals with urgent medical or psychosocial needs, continue to require immediate and sustained humanitarian assistance.
In 2025, the refugee population in Indonesia has increasingly relocated to urban areas, with many opting for rental housing. However, due to the lack of designated sites, some have established a makeshift camp. IOM has continued to support this population through multi-purpose cash assistance and access to health services. Additionally, IOM’s advocacy contributed to the stabilization of the makeshift camp and the improvement of living conditions for over 500 refugees residing there. Continued support at this site is essential to prevent disease, mitigate other risk factors, and enable humanitarian assistance particularly for the most vulnerable groups.