Rohingya migrants speak out on never-ending nightmare as they flee through Asia

Rohingya Muslims said they have faced violence, racism and economic hardship in almost every location they have fled to.

For the last seven years, Rohingya Muslims in southeast Asia have been facing a never-ending nightmare that they say follows them to every place they've fled.

Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have fled Myanmar, where they were targeted in the country's genocide of Muslims. The refugees said that, despite making the journey through treacherous terrain and waters, they are still at risk for violence, health problems and racism almost everywhere they go.

Shahed, a Rohingya who migrated to Bangladesh and is now planning to travel to Malaysia with smugglers, told ABC News Live that he and many of his fellow refugees are living in fear as they have been given no jobs and threatened by local gangs to either join them or pay to leave them alone.

"I have not told anyone about my journey. But now, I think I must tell at least someone because I’m scared," he said.

Last year more than 4,500 Rohingya fled Myanmar, and hundreds were killed during the journey, according to the United Nations. That number has been a fivefold increase from 2022, according to the U.N.