Rohingya Muslims Are Living Safely In India, Until Court Decides On Govt's Move To Deport Them

The Supreme Court has sought the response of the Modi government on the deportation of some 40,000 Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar living illegally in India.

AFP

"What is your stand? Are they (Rohingyas) as a class entitled to stay in India as refugees? Tell us by September 11," a bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra asked additional solicitor general Tushar Mehta on Monday.

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The apex court sought the response from the government to a petition filed by two Rohingya Muslims, Mohammad Salimullah and Mohammad Shaqir challenging the Modi government's decision to deport them, both documented and undocumented Rohingyas living in India. The court has however refused to stay the deportation as of now.

There are an estimated 40,000 ethnic Rohingya Muslims living across six states in India, though just around 14,000 are registered with the United Nations High Commission For Refugees (UNHCR).

AFP

Most of these people came to India through Bangladesh in the past ten years from Myanmar's western Rakhine state where they have a sizeable population. They were uprooted from their homes in the beginning of this decade in what began as clashes between the majority Rakhine Buddhists and the Rohingyas.

Thousands who were displaced after their houses and shops were burned down initially fled to Bangladesh and from there to countries like Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and some to India.

India had so far allowed the Rohingya to stay in the country despite the fact that the country is not a signatory to the UN Convention on Refugees and thereby not mandated shelter any refugees.

AFP

But Human Rights Watch (HRW) said: ¡°While India is not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol, it is still bound by customary international law not to forcibly return refugees to a place where they face a serious risk of persecution or threats to their life or freedom.¡±

The Modi government is blaming the security threats they pose to deport the Rohingyas.

¡°As far as we are concerned they are all illegal immigrants They have no basis to live here. Anybody who is illegal migrant will be deported,¡± MoS Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju had said.

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According to the union home ministry, these refugees who live in unregistered camps are easy recruits for Pakistan based terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba.