Rohingya youth growing up in Bangladeshi refugee camps: Exploring the impact of statelessness and refugeehood on their transition to adulthood

The Rohingya ethnic minority has been described by the United Nations as "the world's
most persecuted ethnic minority" (UNHCR, 2020a). The prolonged periods of conflict
in Myanmar have translated into waves of displacement, with average periods of
displacement often exceeding 20 years (Shand et al., 2020, p.2). The substantial influx
of refugees from Myanmar to Bangladesh resulted in more than 1.2 million refugees
living in Bangladeshi camps (UNHCR, 2019), of which over 55% are under the age of
18 (UNHCR, 2020b). This current situation raises important questions about the ways
young refugees, some of which born outside their nation-state, correlate their national
identities, sense of belonging and citizenship, challenging the theory and practice of
citizenship (Fincham, 2012, p.119). These young refugees are transitioning to
adulthood without direct state support and limited international assistance, leaving
them without fundamental human rights such as access to formal education, access
to work or access to social security, among others (United Nations General Assembly,
1948).