Hundreds Of Rohingya Refugees Worried To Be Deported By India To Myanmar

Rohingya refugee camp. (Wikipedia Commons/Captain Raju)

JAKARTA - Indian police are known to have detained more than 150 Rohingya refugees, who are illegally living in the northern region of Jammu and Kashmir, after fleeing Myanmar's volatile military coup.

Hundreds of the refugees are in an 'emergency shelter' at Hira Nagar Jammu Prison after local authorities conducted biometric tests and other tests to verify their identities.

"The raising is part of an exercise to trace foreigners living in Jammu without valid documents," said one of the two officials, who declined to be identified because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

"We have started the process of deporting these refugees," the official added.

Rohingya refugees living in Jammu said they were concerned about the weekend detention and threats of deportation. Myanmar denies accusations of genocide and says the army is fighting a legitimate counter-insurgency campaign.

"We will return when peace returns to our country," said Sufeera, 28, who said her uncle and brother had been sent to a holding center, leaving her alone with her children.

Another refugee, Sadiq, 48, said his family members had also been detained.

"We have been told that we will be deported. They took mom and dad. Who will take care of them ?, "he asked

Apart from the Myanmar military coup, Rohingya refugees living in India say conditions are not conducive for them to return to Myanmar after fleeing years of violence and persecution.

Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya people were forced to flee their predominantly Buddhist homeland following a crackdown by the Myanmar military in 2017. Most are in rickety camps on the border with Bangladesh.

India rejects the United Nations (UN) view that deporting Rohingya refugees violates Refoulement principles, sending refugees back to places where they face danger.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's federal government revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019 and now manages the region from New Delhi.

In addition, the Indian Government considers the Rohingya, who are Muslim, as illegal and a security risk. The government has ordered that thousands of those living in scattered settlements be identified and returned to Myanmar.