Rohingya refugees are increasingly relying on informal work to survive on both sides of the Bangladesh-Myanmar border. Already tightly controlled, life both inside and outside refugee camps became more restricted after renewed fighting broke out between a rebel group and the Myanmar military in 2023. Now that US aid cuts have also come into force, the list of options for refugees in both countries has shrunk even further.
The economic crisis facing the Rohingya in Bangladesh and Myanmar is not just a result of poverty. It is a result of exclusion. In Bangladesh, refugees are banned from working formally and must rely on rations or precarious informal jobs. In Myanmar, livelihoods are disappearing under conflict, military restrictions, and growing distrust between ethnic groups.
Refugees are navigating the limited and precarious work opportunities available in both countries as best they can. Some jobs can still be found in sectors like small-scale farming and construction. A few have managed to open small businesses, while others have turned to family and friends abroad for help. Still others set their sights on migration, journeying to Thailand, Malaysia or other areas in Myanmar to try to find something better.
