Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday informed the lok Sabha that Rohingya migrants will be deported to Myanmar and asked the State Governments to collect their details and confine them to a single place. “BSF and Assam Rifles guarding international borders have been sensitised to ensure that Rohingyas do not infiltrate the country. latest advisory has been issued to States. They have been directed to carry out enumeration of such illegal immigrants and also collect their biometrics. When we get all information on the number of Rohingyas and other details from the States, we will approach the Ministry of External Affairs and connect with Myanmar to deport them,” said the Home Minister.
Replying during the Question Hour, the Home Minister said the State Governments were asked to confine the Rohingya migrants to one place, rather than keeping them in many places. Apart from Jammu, the infiltrated Rohingyas were mainly seen at Mewat region in Haryana, Okhla region in Delhi and Alwar region in Rajasthan. Rohingyas infiltrated somewhere in 2012 during the conflicts in Myanmar were even settled in Telangana and Kerala with the help of certain NGOs, which are now under the radar of intelligence agencies.
Singh said States have also been asked to carry out enumeration of such people and also collect their biometric details. He said though States have a right under the Foreigners Act to deport illegal migrants, State Governments have been asked to collect details about Rohingyas and share it with the Home Ministry.
Earlier, responding to questions, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said some of the Rohingya migrants living in India have been involved in illegal activities. The Government also made it clear that Rohingyas do not have the status of “refugee” but are “illegal migrants”.
He said since they are illegal migrants, they are not entitled to any Government facility. The Minister said the priority of the Government is to take care of rights of Indian citizens. Rijiju said though they have not been given legal documents like ration cards, if they have acquired such facilities, it must have been done through illegal means. The States, he said, have to ensure that such illegal migrants do not get legal documents so that they do not stake claim to citizenship at a later date.
Saugata Bose (TMC) said India has a history of sheltering refugees and the Government must do the same with the Rohingyas. Rijiju hit back, saying he was saddened by the stand of Bose. He said though India is not a signatory to the UN Convention on Refugees, it has been “soft” on such migrants. He said there is a need to have a system to check such migrants in the interest of the country and Indian citizens.
He said India has set up facilities for Rohingyas in Rakhine State in Myanmar and its track record on humanitarian assistance should not be questioned.