Union Minister Jitendra Singh said Rohingya refugees settled in Jammu in a large number, would eventually face deportation now that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) has been enacted by parliament. He remarked that there is a sizeable Rohingya population in Jammu and that a detailed list would be prepared. Thereafter, Singh suggested that a due process is likely to be put in place for their eventual deportation to Myanmar, according to media reports.
The Centre would also probe how Rohingya refugees came all the way from West Bengal to settle down in Jammu in the northernmost state of the country, after passing through several states, the minister observed. Jammu and Samba region are reported to have more than 13,000 refugees comprising Rohingyas and Bangladeshi nationals.
Jitendra Singh added that Rohingyas who had settled in Jammu will be deported as they do not belong to the three countries listed—Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Moreover, they do not belong to any of the six persecuted minorities listed in the CAA.
The Union Minister further said the CAA is applicable across the country and that the Act does not give any concession or leverage to Rohingyas. The minister implied that Rohingyas would not be eligible for citizenship under the new law. Jitendra Singh stated that what would happen next would be in relation to the deportation of Rohingyas and that biometric identity cards would be given where needed.
The Union minister’s statement assumes significance in view of the fact that Rohingya refugees are currently settled in various parts of the country.
