In July, Rafiq, a 32-year-old Rohingya man, slipped quietly out of the world's largest refugee camp in southern Bangladesh to begin a dangerous crossing into Myanmar across the border. His goal: was to join a civil war in the homeland he fled in 2017.

Thousands of Rohingya refugees like Rafiq, who are living in overcrowded camps in Cox's Bazar, are now taking up arms, nurtured by the hope of reclaiming their ancestral lands. Despite the risks, Rafiq says he sees no alternative. “We need to fight to take back our lands,” he said.

Why are Rohingya refugees returning to Myanmar?

The Rohingya, a Muslim minority group, fled Myanmar in massive numbers beginning in 2016 to escape what the United Nations has labeled a genocide. Over a million now live in refugee camps in Bangladesh, where poverty and violence are rampant.

Since Myanmar's military coup in 2021, the country has sunk into chaos as different armed groups vie for control, including Rohingya insurgents who are now joining forces with unlikely allies, including factions tied to their former persecutors.

“Many Rohingya fighters have teamed up with Myanmar’s military to combat the Arakan Army,” said one fighter, Abu Afna.  This ethnic militia, supported by the Rakhine community, has captured vast tracts of land in Rakhine State, which once was the ancestral home of many Rohingya.

Why do refugees join armed groups?

Internal aid reports, reviewed by Reuters, indicate that recruitment in the camps has picked up to 3,000 to 5,000 fighters. Some of them volunteer, tempted by the promise of money or Myanmar citizenship - a privilege that has long been denied to the Rohingya.

For others, recruitment comes through force or coercion. Young boys as young as 13 are among those taken to fight, sources said. “We didn’t go for the money,” explained Abu Afna, “We wanted the card, nationality.”

Despite the citizenship offer, some fighters are still deeply conflicted over their alliances. “When I’d be with the junta, I would feel that I am standing next to the same people who raped and killed our mothers and sisters,” said Abu Afna.

Is Bangladesh supporting the insurgency?

As a sign of frustration, Bangladesh, which is also bearing the refugee burden, is not seeing much progress as regards the return of the Rohingya from Myanmar. Some officials reportedly see armed struggle as the only path to return.

Retired Bangladeshi Brigadier General Md. Manzur Qader has openly suggested that supporting the Rohingya militarily could force Myanmar’s junta and the Arakan Army to negotiate. However, such support appears fragmented and informal, with no unified directive from the government.

In some cases, Bangladeshi officials have allegedly aided and helped the insurgents in crossing the border. “It’s your country, you go and take it back,” one official reportedly told a group of fighters before sending them on a boat to Myanmar.

What’s happening inside the refugee camps?

In Cox's Bazar, the situation is getting increasingly hopeless. The armed groups-the Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO) and the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA)-are eyeing for control. Shootings and abductions are very frequent, keeping residents terrified.

“Violence is at the highest levels since the camps were established,” said John Quinley of Fortify Rights, a human rights group. Armed groups have killed at least 60 people this year and are accused of torturing opponents and silencing critics.

Humanitarian workers warn that international aid is running out. Without livelihood opportunities, many fear that young refugees will be drawn further into militant groups.

What lies ahead for the Rohingya?

As the struggle in Myanmar wears on, prospects for a safe return appear increasingly hopeless. Rohingya fighters report that the battle for the western town of Maungdaw has been dragging on for months with no clear end to it.

Meanwhile, refugees in Cox's Bazar live with insecurity and poverty. “We have nothing here,” said Sharit Ullah, who fled Myanmar with his family earlier this year. “We live in fear.”