Yogyakarta - Commemorating World Refugee Day 2026 on 20 June, Asiaglobe picks Abdu Rahman, a young Rohingya refugee who has been spending his long journey to find safe place to live after leaving his hometown about nine years ago.
As of today, Abdu and many other refugees who are in transit in Indonesia, are still living in uncertainty about their future when the resettlement to a new country becomes almost impossible due to global situation.
This is the second part of Abdu's story and you can read the previous part by clicking this.
Pekanbaru: Neither Prison nor Home
Indonesia is non party and of course does not ratify the 1951 UN Convention of Refugee. This means Rohingya who arrive in Indonesia, like from other countries, have no formal legal status, no right to work, and no pathway to residency.
They receive UNHCR documentation as registered refugees, and small monthly cash assistance from the IOM. It is not enough to live on. Many rent small rooms in the city, pooling resources simply to survive.
"As a refugee, we are not allowed to work, we are not allowed to move freely. The money from IOM is not enough for daily life. We have to buy food, pay rent, cover all living costs — it is very difficult." Abdu described.
Yet, Abdu does not sit idle. He works as an interpreter for humanitarian organizations, using his English to bridge the gap between Rohingya refugees and aid workers. He assists fellow refugees with documentation and applications. He teaches. He writes.
One of the most striking developments of his time in Indonesia came in October 2025, when he received a scholarship to study at the University of Riau — a genuine university enrollment, not an online program.
He sent a message to contacts that same evening, full of the kind of barely contained joy that arrives when something you have worked toward for years finally materializes.
(Abdu starts studying in college class with Indonesian students at University of Riau (UNRI) (Photo/file/Abdu))
"I have good news to share — I got a scholarship at the University of Riau in Indonesia. It was my dream to attend any university in the world and continue my higher education. Now I have got a chance," the message from Abdu to Asiaglobe in October 2025 noted.
