Rohingya Refugees In Jammu To Be Deported Only After Due Process: Supreme Court

An apex court bench headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde and also comprising Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian passed the order on a plea seeking the release of over 150 Rohingya refugees.

Rohingya migrants | File Image

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday said the Rohingya refugees, currently under detention in Jammu, will be deported to Myanmar only after proper procedure is followed.

An apex court bench headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde and also comprising Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian passed the order on a plea seeking the release of over 150 Rohingya refugees.

The plea put up before the apex court said the members of the Rohingya community took refuge in India after they faced widespread violence and discrimination in Myanmar.

The plea filed before the apex court through advocate Prashant Bhushan sought a direction to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to expeditiously grant refugee identification cards to Rohingyas housed at informal camps through the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO).

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The Centre, however, contested the petitioner’s claim with Solicitor General Tushar Mehta stating “they are not refugees at all”.

“This is the second round of litigation. This petitioner had filed an application (before) and it was dismissed,” he added.

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Stating they are illegal immigrants who will be deported as per the procedure established by law, the Solicitor General said: “We are always in touch with Myanmar and if they confirm, then they can be deported”.