NAYPYIDAW, Myanmar: Myanmar's military-backed government has confirmed that nearly 309,000 displaced people living in camps in Bangladesh are former residents of Rakhine State, a region that has faced years of conflict and unrest.

However, Myanmar's Foreign Ministry said their return will take place only after security conditions in Rakhine State improve.

In a statement issued over the weekend, the Foreign Ministry said Myanmar had verified 308,797 people in Bangladesh as former residents of Rakhine State. The figure was based on 828,824 names submitted to Myanmar for verification as of July 31, 2026.

The United Nations says more than 700,000 Rohingya people fled to neighboring Bangladesh in 2017 after Myanmar security forces launched a major crackdown. Many more Rohingya have continued to leave Myanmar in recent years, traveling by uncertain sea and land routes in search of safety.

Myanmar said it had identified 4,241 people on Bangladesh's repatriation list who it alleged had been involved in terrorist activities. The government also said it had been unable to verify a further 113,507 people on the list.

Myanmar has said the repatriation process will start only when security conditions in Rakhine State become more stable. The country's military is currently fighting the Arakan Army, an ethnic armed group based in Rakhine State that has been seeking greater autonomy for the region.

Myanmar has also maintained that the return of the displaced people is strictly a bilateral issue between Myanmar and Bangladesh.

The government said earlier that repatriation arrangements made by the two countries in 2018 and 2019 did not result in any Rohingya returning to Myanmar, despite preparations made by both sides.

Myanmar has also agreed to accept 5,000 Rohingya asylum seekers from Malaysia. However, Malaysia has said that the repatriation would not go ahead if returning the people would put their lives at risk.