Archive · 7 Jan 2026
Rohingya Refugees Share January 1 Birthdays on UN Cards
Many Rohingya refugees who fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar in 2017 have the same birthday, January 1, on their UN identity cards.
This happened because when they arrived, the UN workers were very busy and didn't have time to ask for their real birth dates.
Now, many refugees feel sad because this fake birthday makes them feel like they have lost part of their identity.
They say it's hard to change the date on their cards.
The UN says they can update their information, but the refugees say it's not easy.
This is a big problem for the Rohingya, who are already struggling because they don't have a country to call their own.
Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh share the same arbitrary birthday of January 1 on their UN identity cards.
This occurred because overwhelmed UN aid workers assigned the date during the 2017 refugee crisis.
67% of Rohingya in the camps are registered with this arbitrary birthday.
Refugees find it difficult to update their birth dates on the cards, despite the UN's invitation to do so.
The incorrect birthday adds to the Rohingya's sense of lost identity, as they are already stateless.
- Who
- Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh
- What
- Sharing the same arbitrary birthday of January 1 on UN refugee cards
- When
- Since 2017, with ongoing issues
- Where
- Over 30 refugee camps in Bangladesh
- Why
- Due to overwhelmed UN aid workers during registration and lack of birth records
- Refugee Population
- Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya in over 30 camps in Bangladesh
- Arbitrary Birthday
- January 1
- Percentage with January 1 Birthday
- 67%
- Year of Exodus
- 2017
- Reason for Arbitrary Birthday
- Overwhelmed UN aid workers during registration
- UN Agency Involved
- Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees
- Current Status of Identity Updates
- Difficult for refugees to update information