The Union Territory administration of Jammu and Kashmir has barred Rohingya children, classified as illegal immigrants from Myanmar, from enrolling in government-run schools, citing a lack of valid identity proof.
This decision follows the disconnection of water and power supplies to Rohingya settlements near vital military installations in the Jammu region in December 2024, escalating challenges for the community.
Over 400 school-going Rohingya children have been unable to return to their classrooms since the 2024 academic session, awaiting clear directives from the Jammu and Kashmir School Education Department.
Teachers at Government Middle School, Kiryani Talab, in the Gandhinagar Zone, confirmed to The Pioneer that they are still waiting for instructions from higher authorities. “We were told to collect identity proof from Rohingya students before promoting them, but no further clarity has been provided,” a group of teachers stated. In 2024, verbal instructions were issued to school principals to demand identity documents, such as Aadhaar cards, for Rohingya children before promoting them to higher classes. Without these documents, none of the children were promoted, though they were initially allowed to attend classes and receive mid-day meals in anticipation of clearer guidelines. However, at the start of the 2025 academic session, these children were explicitly directed not to return without valid identity proof, affecting students in primary, middle, and high schools across the region.
Din Mohammad, a senior member of the Rohingya community residing near Kiryani Talab, expressed frustration, “Our children were previously admitted to government schools, but since last year, their education has been disrupted. We cannot provide Aadhaar cards as we are not Indian nationals. We only have UNHCR cards, which the schools do not accept.” He recounted how parents were instructed not to send their children to school without valid documentation.
The Rohingya community, facing significant hardship, has appealed to the UT administration to reconsider its stance. Citing a Supreme Court observation on February 28, 2025, a Rohingya parent noted, “The Supreme Court stated that Rohingya children can approach government schools for admission, and if denied, they can move the High Court. But we lack the resources to pursue legal battles. We only ask that our children be allowed to study.”
Children affected by the ban echoed similar pleas. A second-grade student shared, “I love English, Maths, and Urdu. I want to become a doctor to treat people, but my teacher told me not to come back without an Aadhaar card.” Mohd Faizan, a Class IX dropout, added, “I appeared for my exams last year, but the results were never declared, and I wasn’t allowed to join Class X. I want to complete my graduation and fulfill my dreams.”
Earlier, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had written to all States/Union Territories to carry out verification of documents of all illegal immigrants putting up within their jurisdictions within a month.
Fresh instructions by the MHA to States and UTs to identify illegal immigrants came close on the heels of the deportation of Pakistani nationals staying illegally in different parts of the country, including Jammu and Kashmir.
On ground zero, the district authorities are soon going to start fresh verification of documents of Rohingyas and Bangladeshis settled illegally in Jammu and Kashmir as per the MHA guidelines. Rough estimates suggest around 8000 to 10,000 Rohingyas are putting up in different areas, including Sunjuwan, Bhatindi, Trikuta Nagar, Narwal, Bhagwati Nagar, Janipura, Industrial Areas, and parts of some other districts.
In December 2024, the district administration cracked down on plot owners who had rented out their land to illegal immigrants and collected rent from them without submitting their information to the nearest police station.
