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Rohingya refugees in quarantine in Aceh after rescue
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Scores of Rohingya refugees including women and children, are seen stranded in waters off Aceh on Dec. 27, 2021 (The Jakarta Post/Amnesty International Indonesia)
D
ozens of Rohingya refugees are currently sheltering in a makeshift facility in Lhoksemauwe, Aceh, where they will undergo quarantine for up to two weeks, after the vessel they were in was towed ashore by the Navy on Friday.
The Navy carried out efforts to rescue the refugees on Thursday following pressure from international organizations to let them take refuge in the country.
The rescue came after Indonesia initially refused to allow the refugees to land and local officials in Aceh said they would provide those on board the vessel with essential needs that would allow them to continue their journey to Malaysia.
Read also: Govt to let stranded Rohingya boat seek refuge
Ridwan Jalil, the head of the local task force responsible for handling Rohingya refugees, said the refugees landed at Krueng Geukueh Port in Lhoksemauwe at around 1 a.m. on Friday, adding that they immediately were given swab antigen tests upon their disembarkation.
“The tests for all 105 refugees, mostly women and children, came back negative,” Ridwan told The Jakarta Post on Friday.
The refugees will be kept under quarantine for the next 10 to 14 days in training centers (BLK) in Lhoksemauwe, where they will also undergo further health checks, the official said.
