The Establishment of the European Rohingya Council

Why ERC was established

The European Rohingya Council (ERC) was established because the circumstances facing the Rohingya people in 2012 required urgent, organised and sustained action. The renewed violence in Arakan brought devastating consequences for Rohingya communities, including massacres, the destruction of homes and religious properties, and the forced displacement of a very large number of people.

At a time when Rohingya communities were facing increasing insecurity and isolation, Rohingya scholars, activists and concerned individuals living across Europe recognised the need for a common platform. There was a clear need to bring together experience, knowledge and advocacy capacity so that the Rohingya voice could be represented more effectively before European governments, international institutions, civil society and the wider world.

The emergency roundtable in Denmark

Against this background, prominent Rohingya scholars, activists and concerned individuals living in Europe organised an emergency roundtable meeting in Esbjerg, Denmark, on 6–7 October 2012.

The meeting was not simply an organisational gathering. It was a response to an emergency. Participants discussed the grave situation in Arakan, the urgent protection needs of the Rohingya people, the importance of international advocacy, and the need for a united and credible Rohingya platform in Europe.

The birth of the European Rohingya Council

Out of that roundtable meeting, the European Rohingya Council was born. ERC was created with a commitment to serve the Rohingya people and to take every possible peaceful and lawful measure to help stop their destruction, defend their rights and strengthen their future.

From the beginning, ERC sought to connect Rohingya communities in Europe with the wider struggle for rights, justice and dignity in Arakan. It aimed to strengthen international awareness, advocate for protection and accountability, support the restoration of equal citizenship and fundamental rights, and mobilise assistance for Rohingya communities in need.

A European platform with a global responsibility

Although ERC was established in Europe, its concern has never been limited to Europe. The organisation was created as a Rohingya umbrella platform with responsibility toward Rohingya people in Arakan, in neighbouring countries, across Europe and throughout the global diaspora.

The establishment of ERC in 2012 therefore marked an important step in building a coordinated Rohingya-led platform in Europe—one rooted in the urgent realities of persecution and displacement, but also in a long-term vision of justice, equal rights, peace, dignity and a secure future for the Rohingya people.