The Maungdaw Township Court has sentenced 11 Muslims charged with entering Arakan State illegally from Bangladesh to six months in prison under Section 13(1) of the Immigration Act.

Four of the 11 Muslims were reportedly sentenced on July 2 and the remaining seven — five women and two men — were sentenced on July 3.

Two minors were handed over to their respective ward/village administrators and two people who are registered on a list compiled by the Union Enterprise for Humanitarian Assistance, Resettlement and Development (UEHRD) were released, according to the Maungdaw Township Court.

The Myanmar government has suspended repatriation processes amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but dozens of people are believed to have illegally returned from Bangladesh over recent weeks.

Among the unlawful entrants, 19 people have reportedly been charged under Section 13(1) the Immigration Act and 10 people under Section (5) of the Immigration Act.

All nine confirmed cases of COVID-19 in northern Arakan State — seven in Maungdaw Township and two in Buthidaung Township — are accused of having entered Myanmar illegally from Bangladesh.