Authorities in Bangladesh are pushing ahead with the relocation of tens of thousands of Rohingya Muslims to a remote island in the Bay of Bengal, despite concerns raised by human rights groups and the United Nations.

On Thursday, the first group of about 1,500 Rohingya were placed aboard several navy vessels heading toward to Bhashan Char, located about 120 miles south of the capital, Dhaka.

Bangladeshi officials first proposed the island in 2015 as an option for some of the hundreds of thousands who have been housed for years in camps since fleeing brutal crackdowns by the military in neighboring Myanmar. But the idea was put on hold because of potentially unsafe conditions on the cyclone and flood-prone island.

Phil Robertson, the deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch, likens the island to “a de facto prison island. It’s like the Rohingya Alcatraz.”

ALSO READ THIS: LOCAL REPORTS SAYS THAT THIS TIME 600 ROHINGYA FAMILIES ARE GOING TO BHASANCHAR.

Robertson says, “There’s concerns about health, there’s concerns about medical services, there’s concern about adequate amounts of food and other supplies. I mean, it’s a disaster waiting to happen.”

The U.N. said Wednesday that it is aware of reports of Bangladeshi authorities starting the relocation process, but said it had not reviewed the operation before hand.

The U.N. said any relocation plan for Bhashan Char should involve a review of the safety, feasibility, and sustainability of the island for refugees to live and should involve the full consent of the Rohingya.

“The United Nations has not been involved in preparations for this movement or the identification of refugees and has limited information on the overall relocation exercise,” the U.N. said.

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