India Must Halt the Forced Deportation of Rohingya Genocide Survivors

Statement from Refugees International Director for Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, Daniel P. Sullivan:

“Refugees International urgently calls on the government of India to immediately end the detention and forced deportation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar. These individuals fled genocide and ongoing conflict in Myanmar. Returning them now places their lives at grave risk and violates India’s obligations under international law.

In recent days, at least 40 Rohingya refugees have been deported from India to Myanmar and another 50 pushed into Bangladesh. Those deported said they were safe for the moment but hiding from the military junta. Family members still in India expressed anguish at the sudden separation and uncertainty their deported loved ones now face. On a recording of a call shared with Refugees International, one son tells his mother, “Don’t cry!” Another mother pleads with her son, “Don’t separate, go with them wherever they go.”

Since February, Rohingya in India have experienced increased harassment, and many have been detained across India in recent days, adding to the hundreds already held in detention. Among the newly detained are breastfeeding mothers—some held for over 24 hours without access to food or water—and infants as young as two months old. Others detained and imprisoned include students scheduled for exams next week.

India’s Supreme Court should reconsider its decision to allow ongoing detentions and deportations despite appeals from advocates in the country. It should provide interim relief by instructing authorities to release those who are detained and to immediately halt any further deportations. 

In previous joint reports with The Azadi Project, Refugees International documented the dire conditions in detention for Rohingya in India and highlighted the need to end arbitrary detention and improve protection and services for the thousands of Rohingya seeking refuge in India.

Genocide survivors are among the most vulnerable individuals in the world. They deserve protection and refuge—not renewed persecution or forced return to those responsible for their suffering.”

For more information or schedule an interview, please contact Etant Dupain at edupain@refugeesinternational.org.