The central and state governments are exploring ways to identify and deport Rohingya Muslims who have illegally entered Jammu and Kashmir. The issue was discussed at a 3 April meeting in New Delhi, convened by Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi and attended by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Braj Raj Sharma and Director General of Police SP Vaid.
According to a senior home ministry official, there are an estimated 40,000 Rohingyas who have taken refuge in India. Around 5,500-5,700 are based in Jammu alone, while the home ministry suspects that the numbers may be as high as 11,000, the Times of India reported.
"We are exploring ways on how to identify and deport the Rohingya Muslims," a Home Ministry official said.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had said in the state assembly on 20 January that some madrasas were associated with Rohingya Muslims in the state.
Mehbooba had said no Rohingya Muslim has been found involved in militancy-related incidents but 17 FIRs have been registered against 38 Rohingyas for various offences including those related to illegal border crossing.
Some NGOs namely ‘Shikawat’ run by Mohammad-ul-Umar of Srinagar along with Rashid, SR Institute of Development of Rambagh (Srinagar) and Delhi-based NGO Daji were helping Rohingyas in cash and kind from time to time, Mehbooba had said.
Rohingyas originally belong to Rakhine province of Myanmar, and many of them have left the country due to alleged persecution by the majority Buddhist community
(With inputs from PTI)
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