India Expels Rohingya Refugees Without Rights Protections, HRW Reports

India Expels Rohingya Refugees Without Rights Protections, HRW Reports
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Since May, Indian authorities have expelled dozens of Rohingya refugees to Bangladesh and Myanmar without providing legal protections, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Thursday, accusing officials of arbitrary detention, mistreatment, and violations of international law, Maktoob Media reported.

The campaign, largely in Bharatiya Janata Party-governed states, targeted Rohingya and Bengali-speaking Muslims as “illegal immigrants.” HRW reported that 192 registered Rohingya were sent to Bangladesh, while 40 others were forced off an Indian naval ship near Myanmar. Dozens more fled India, fearing detention.

Survivors described assaults, seizure of money and UNHCR cards, and beatings of children. One group of 40 was flown to the Andaman Islands and later forced into the sea near Myanmar’s Tanintharyi region.

India hosts an estimated 40,000 Rohingya, roughly half registered with the UN. Though not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention, India is bound by nonrefoulement, prohibiting return to persecution.

HRW urged India to halt expulsions, investigate abuses, and recognize Rohingya as refugees. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a case in September determining their legal status.