Government Refuses To Give Assurance In Supreme Court On Stopping Deportation Of Rohingyas

The government on Monday refused in the Supreme Court to give Rohingya refugees an assurance that it will not deport them back to Myanmar, remaining non-committal to stop the deportation move, The Hindu has reported.

The Supreme Court had earlier asked the government to clarify its position on a petition challenging its decision to deport illegal Rohingya Muslims as they pose a threat to the country’s security. The plea was filed by two Rohingya immigrants, Mohammad Salimullah and Mohammad Shakir, who claimed they had taken refuge in India after escaping from Myanmar due to widespread discrimination, violence and bloodshed against the community in that country.

Representing Sallimullah and Shakir, advocate Prashant Bhushan asserted that such a move would be unconstitutional as the apex court had repeatedly ruled, as in the case of Chakma refugees, that it was the cardinal duty of the Union government to protect refugees, who leave their own country because of persecution at the hands of state authorities.

The government had in August asked states to identify and deport illegal immigrants like the Rohingyas as they are vulnerable to getting recruited by terrorist organisations. According to Union Minister of State for Home, Kiren Rijiju, 40,000 Rohingyas are staying in India illegally.

Rohingya living illegally in Jammu and Kashmir have managed to buy land by fraudulently obtaining permanent residence certificates, Aadhaar cards, voters identity cards and ration cards, The Tribune had reported in June.

Also Read: Where Is Article 370 Now That Rohingyas And Bangladeshis Are Being Settled In Jammu And Ladakh?

With inputs from ANI