Rights Group Condemns India’s Expulsion of Rohingya Refugees

Rights Group Condemns India’s Expulsion of Rohingya Refugees
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Human Rights Watch (HRW) has condemned India’s expulsion of Rohingya refugees to Bangladesh and Myanmar, stating that the expulsions were carried out “without rights protections,” Jurist News reported. The condemnation was made in a news release on Thursday.

According to HRW, Indian authorities have also “arbitrarily detained several hundred more” Rohingya refugees and mistreated some of them. The group claims a nationwide effort to forcibly remove “illegal immigrants,” including the Rohingya, began in May in states governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Many of these refugees are registered with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNCHR) but are being removed regardless.

Elaine Pearson, HRW’s Asia director, called on the Indian government to immediately cease the intimidation, detention, and unlawful expulsions of all Rohingya refugees and to investigate allegations of mistreatment. Pearson also urged the authorities to recognize the Rohingya as refugees and work with the UN refugee agency to protect their rights.

In mid-May, India’s Supreme Court dismissed a petition by two Rohingya refugees to prevent deportations, with the judge criticizing the case’s lack of evidence and credibility. The Supreme Court also declined to recognize UNHCR-issued refugee cards and the Rohingya as refugees, citing the fact that India is not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention and lacks a domestic legal framework for refugees.

The Rohingya are a stateless and predominantly Muslim ethnic group from Myanmar’s Rakhine State. In 2017, nearly one million fled to Bangladesh following a military campaign that the UN described as a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing”.