USCIRF Urges India to Halt Deportations Amid Rising Religious Freedom Concerns

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has urged India to immediately stop the deportation of Rohingya refugees and Bengali-speaking Muslims, warning that the expulsions reflect a wider pattern of systemic violations of religious freedom.

According to a report cited by Maktoob Media, Indian authorities have deported at least 40 Rohingya back to Myanmar and hundreds of Bengali-speaking Muslims to Bangladesh, despite international law prohibiting the return of people to places where their lives or freedom may be at risk. Border Guard Bangladesh reported that more than 1,500 Muslims were expelled between May 7 and June 15 alone. India, which hosts thousands of Rohingya but does not recognize them as refugees under its Foreigners Act, has previously dismissed USCIRF’s assessments as “biased and inaccurate.”

USCIRF recommended that the U.S. State Department designate India as a “Country of Particular Concern,” noting that the deportations align with broader trends of religious discrimination. Human rights groups and international media have reported escalating violence against Muslims and Christians, with attacks on individuals, mosques and churches becoming more frequent. At least ten Indian states have enacted anti-conversion laws, which observers say are often misused to target minorities.

In Assam, the controversial National Register of Citizens (NRC) has left nearly two million people, mostly Bengali-speaking Muslims, stateless or facing deportation. Similar concerns have been raised over India’s treatment of refugees, with accusations of violating non-refoulement obligations through the forced return of Rohingya.

These developments add to a history of communal unrest, from the 2008 Kandhamal riots in Odisha to more recent anti-Christian violence in Karnataka. USCIRF’s 2025 report also cited India’s efforts to silence Sikh dissidents abroad, suggesting that patterns of religious repression extend beyond its borders.

Analysts warn that these policies and incidents collectively point to a systematic erosion of religious freedom in India, heightening calls for international scrutiny and protective measures for vulnerable communities.