Even though India gives shelter to nearly 20 million undocumented people from neighbouring countries like Pakistan, Nepal, Tibet, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Bangladesh, the Union government in New Delhi always remains aggressive towards the illegal migrants (termed infiltrators, asylum seekers or refugees) from Pakistan since the days of independence. But lately, both the government and people of the south Asian nation have taken an united stand against the Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingya people from western Myanmar too, projecting them as security threat and instigators of demographic changes as well as social unrest. The dramatic change took place soon after the Pahalgam terror attack in the Kashmir valley, where 26 innocent civilians were brutally killed by the Islamists with suspected backing from the Pakistani regime in Islamabad.
Soon after the 22 April Pahalgam incident, a massive wave of public outrages was observed across India demanding a decisive retaliation against Pakistan. It followed an escalation of armed conflicts between the two neighbours and New Delhi launched Operation Sindoor targeting the terrorist hideouts inside the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and mainland Pakistan. A bilateral understanding for cessation of armed conflicts was accepted on 10 May, but enormous furies against the enemy nation continues among the majority of Indians. Even the Supreme Court came out heavily against the government for taking a longer time to deport the illegal migrants. The apex court also recently rejected a plea to stop the process of deportation involving Rohingya Muslim migrants. It also refused to hear a petition on alleged dumping of 38 Rohingya people in Andaman Sea near to the Myanmar coast, terming it a ‘very beautifully crafted story’.
The particular petition claimed that New Delhi deported those Rohingyas even after possessing identity cards from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). They were reportedly brought to Sri Vijaya Puram (earlier Port Blair), headquarter of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal, from Delhi in the first week of May and abandoned them on a ship with life jackets in the Myanmar coast with assurances that someone would rescue them. A civil society group named People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) even condemned the alleged deportation of Rohingyas describing it inhumane and illegal under domestic and international guidelines.
The new found Rohingya menace prompts New Delhi and other province governments to take visible actions against the individuals either entering India illegally or staying after the expiry of their visa periods. The Rohingyas to the tune of 40,000 are staying in Telangana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir with other localities. Those Muslim residents from Rakhine (Arakan) province of Myanmar faced brutal military crackdowns in 2016 and 2017, following which over 700,000 Rohingyas fled to neighbouring Bangladesh. Their return became challenging following the military coup in February 2021 and subsequent armed conflicts between the Myanmar military junta and ethnic armed outfits including the Arakan Army.
The Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) alleged that India had sent over 2000 individuals into Bangladesh since 1 May with no official intimation. BGB director general Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui claimed that many Bengali speaking Indian Muslims were also pushed in through the borders of West Bengal, Assam and Tripura. The political leaders, security experts and general population expressed serious concern over the incidents of pushing people through land borders and terming the process illogical and illegal. They questioned the deportation of Rohingyas to Bangladesh, as they are not citizens of the country, but Myanmar. The BGB officials detained at least five United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) recognized Rohingya refugees, who were pushed by the Indian agencies.
Dhaka made it clear that it would accept individuals only after the confirmation as Bangladeshi citizens and repatriated through official channels. The Bangladeshis demanded to stop the practice, levelling it as a threat to their sovereignty, even though the Rohingyas entered India from their territory only.
Meanwhile on 23 May, the UNHCR issued a media statement from Geneva, where it expressed concern over two reported boat tragedies leading to the death of over 400 Rohingya refugees at Myanmar coast. The UN refugee agency stated that around 514 Rohingyas travelled on two separate boats, where one carried around 267 people. Over half of them probably departed from Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar of south Bangladesh and the rest left Rakhine province of Myanmar. The boat sank on 9 May, where only 66 survived. Another boat carrying 247 Rohingyas (gathered from both Cox’s Bazar camp and Rakhine localities) capsized on 10 May, where only 21 survived.
“The dire humanitarian situation, exacerbated by funding cuts, is having a devastating impact on the lives of Rohingya, with more and more resorting to dangerous journeys to seek safety, protection and a dignified life for themselves and their families,” said Hai Kyung Jun, regional director of UNHCR, adding that the ‘latest tragedy is a chilling reminder that access to meaningful protection, especially in countries of first asylum, as well as responsibility sharing and collective efforts along sea routes, are essential to saving lives’.
UNHCR also called on the international community to stand in solidarity with the countries in the region which are hosting Rohingya refugees. Until the situation in Rakhine becomes peaceful and conducive to safe and voluntary return, the international community must continue to support efforts to provide life-saving assistance to Rohingya refugees. The UN agency reportedly requires $ 383.1 million in 2025 to stabilize the lives of refugees and their host communities across Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and those displaced inside Myanmar. So far, only 30 percent of this amount has been received, it added.
