No Safe Return for Rohingya Without Justice and Peace

In a decisive diplomatic move at the United Nations, the European Union has declared that there can be no safe, voluntary, and dignified return for Rohingya refugees to Myanmar without justice, peace, and the full restoration of rights.

Addressing the international community, the EU representative issued a clear call to action: justice and accountability must come before repatriation. The statement reinforced the EU’s longstanding commitment to supporting Rohingya rights and emphasized that surface-level solutions or politically motivated repatriation programs will not resolve the crisis.

“The international community cannot turn a blind eye. The Rohingya cannot return to the very system that expelled them,” said the EU representative.
“There will be no safe return until the causes of their suffering impunity, apartheid, and exclusion are fully addressed.”

The European Union reiterated its full support for international accountability efforts, including the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation into crimes against humanity and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) case brought by The Gambia. These legal processes are seen as critical tools in establishing justice for the genocide and mass displacement suffered by the Rohingya since 2017.

The EU delegation firmly stated that the Myanmar military must be held accountable, not just to deliver justice to victims, but also to lay the groundwork for any durable peace or reconciliation process.

The pitch went beyond legal processes, stressing that true repatriation must include the restoration of citizenship, freedom of movement, education, and livelihoods. The EU demanded that the 1982 Citizenship Law be repealed or reformed, and that institutional discrimination and segregation in Rakhine State be dismantled.

“We cannot talk about return while Rohingya in Rakhine continue to live under open-air prison conditions,” noted the EU envoy.

The EU’s speech also referenced the over one million Rohingya currently exiled, the vast majority of whom reside in Bangladesh without access to formal education or a pathway to a dignified future.

The EU urged regional actors, especially ASEAN, to break their silence and act more decisively. It called upon the UN Security Council to overcome geopolitical deadlock, adopt binding resolutions, and enforce arms embargoes and sanctions against the junta.

The Union also promised continued humanitarian aid and pledged to collaborate with host countries like Bangladesh, but made it clear: without structural change in Myanmar, repatriation will remain unsafe and unjust.

Rohingya activists and community leaders across refugee camps welcomed the EU’s message. For them, it was more than a speech it was a rare validation of their lived reality and ongoing calls for meaningful action.

“This is what we have been demanding: not just return, but return with rights, safety, and justice,” said Ro Mayyu Islam, a Rohingya political analyst and global advocate.

“We are not asking for privilege we are asking to return home with dignity.”

This speech signals a growing international consensus that symbolic repatriation is not enough. The Rohingya crisis is not a humanitarian problem alone it is a matter of international justice, political will, and moral courage.

By standing firm at the UN, the EU has challenged the global community to move beyond condemnation toward coordinated, concrete action that centers the Rohingya voice.

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