UNHCR: 2025 deadliest year for Rohingya sea crossings

Nearly 900 Rohingya refugees were reported missing or dead in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal in 2025, making it the deadliest year on record for maritime movements in South and South-East Asia, according to the UNHCR.
More than 6,500 Rohingya attempted the hazardous crossings during the year. Around one in seven were reported missing or dead – the highest mortality rate recorded on any major refugee sea route globally.
Women and children have accounted for more than half of those making the journeys in recent years, a pattern that has continued into 2026. 
Between January and 13 April alone, more than 2,800 Rohingya are estimated to have set out on dangerous sea voyages.
The scale of the crisis was underscored by a recent incident in the Andaman Sea. An overcrowded boat that reportedly left Bangladesh on 26 March is believed to have capsized in rough conditions, leaving an estimated 250 people missing. Nine survivors were rescued on 9 April near the Andaman Islands.
The UN refugee agency said it is providing counselling and medical and psychosocial support to survivors, and stands ready to assist local authorities.
Despite the risks – including trafficking, exploitation and death at sea – thousands of Rohingya continue to attempt the crossings. 
Boats are frequently overcrowded and unseaworthy, typically departing from camps in Cox’s Bazar or from Myanmar’s Rakhine state, often bound for Indonesia or Malaysia.
Many Rohingya say they hope to return to Myanmar if conditions allow for a safe, voluntary and dignified return. However, ongoing conflict, persecution and the continued denial of citizenship leave few viable options.
Humanitarian conditions in Bangladesh have also deteriorated. Aid agencies warn that funding shortfalls have forced cuts to essential services, while insecurity in the camps and limited access to education and livelihoods are driving more refugees to undertake risky onward journeys.
UNHCR has urged governments in the region to tackle the root causes of displacement, expand safe and legal pathways, and strengthen cooperation to prevent loss of life and disrupt smuggling and trafficking networks.
More than 1.3 million Rohingya refugees and asylum seekers remain displaced across the region, including about 1.2 million in Bangladesh. The 2025 Joint Response Plan for the refugee crisis was only 53% funded, highlighting what aid groups describe as an urgent need for increased international support.