Rohingya refugees in India
Around 40,000 Rohingya refugees live in slums and camps across India, including Jammu, Hyderabad, Nuh, and Delhi, the majority of whom are undocumented.[1] 5,000 Rohingyas sought refuge in Jammu after the 2017 military crackdown against Rohingya Muslims.
Background
Following a military crackdown in their homelands in 2017, approximately 5,000 Rohingyas sought refuge in Jammu. Authorities in Jammu seized about 160 of them and placed them in detention centers in March 2021, with the purpose of deporting them to Myanmar. Families of these refugees have raised concerns about the perilous conditions in Myanmar, particularly following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, and perceive the action as evidence of the government's hatred toward them. Activists have likened the protests to those of totalitarian countries.[1]
Discrimination against Rohingya refugees
After the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in 2014, anti-Rohingya sentiment grew in India, with its leaders urging the removal of Rohingyas from the country. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) issues identity cards to registered refugees to protect them from arbitrary arrests and deportations. However, despite holding UNHCR-issued identity papers, Rohingyas have been detained and imprisoned in India.[2] Leaders of the BJP have initiated campaigns calling for the expulsion of all Rohingya.[3]
References
- Hassan, Aakash. "'Repeat of what happened in Myanmar': India detains 160 Rohingya". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
- "Rohingya Refugees Seeking Protection from UNHCR Detained | Voice of America - English". VOA. 12 March 2021. Archived from the original on 13 March 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
- Hassan, Aakash (14 April 2022). "Deportation of Rohingya woman from India sparks fear of renewed crackdown". the Guardian. Retrieved 15 April 2022.