Arakan News Agency
Rohingya refugees in India are facing growing pressure after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament Yogender Chandolia called for the expulsion of those he described as “illegal immigrants,” warning that they pose a threat to what he termed “demographic imbalance.”
Chandolia said that Rohingya and Bangladeshi nationals are entering India through the states of West Bengal and Assam, criticizing the West Bengal government for failing to control movement across the long border with Bangladesh.
The remarks have raised concern among Rohingya families, who already live in fear of detention and deportation. Most reside in informal settlements and rely on daily wage labor to survive, having fled violence in Myanmar in search of safety.
Human rights groups say Rohingya refugees face difficulties accessing education, healthcare, and formal employment, and that many do not have legal refugee status under Indian law. Some hold documentation from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), but these do not provide full protection from local enforcement measures.
Human rights advocates warn that harsh political rhetoric around migration increases social pressure on refugees and leaves Rohingya families feeling marginalized and uncertain about their future, especially amid growing public calls for deportation.
Migration and border control remain politically sensitive issues in India, with authorities emphasizing law and security, while human rights groups call for the protection of people fleeing persecution, including the Rohingya who have been displaced for years.
Recently, leaders of the ruling BJP held a mass rally in the Balapur area, during which they called for the arrest and deportation of Rohingya refugees living there.
Indian authorities continue to pursue Rohingya refugees and those who assist them in entering and residing in the country, as India does not recognize them as refugees despite their possession of UNHCR cards, treating them instead as illegal migrants. India is not a signatory to the Refugee Convention.
More than one million Rohingya have fled Arakan State in western Myanmar over the past years after the Myanmar military launched a genocidal campaign against them in 2017. In November 2023, the Arakan Army (an ethnic armed group) launched a military campaign to seize control of the state, which has also subjected Rohingya to violence, displacement, and forced recruitment. Most now live in overcrowded camps in Bangladesh, while others seek to move to different countries in search of better living conditions.
