Plea filed in SC against 'illegal detention' of Rohingyas

A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court for release of 150-170 Rohingyas from “illegal detention” in Jammu earlier this month.

An application filed by advocate Prashant Bhushan on behalf of Mohammad Salimullah, a Rohingya refuge, pointed out these people faced deportation back to Myanmar following verification by their embassy.

It sought a direction to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to intervene and determine the protection needs of the Rohingya refugees not just in the Jammu but also in camps across the country and complete the process of granting them Refugee cards.

Even though the Supreme Court is seized of the matter, disturbing reports from the Rohingya families have come stating that subsequent to a biometric verification of Rohingya refugees undertaken by the Jammu and Kashmir administration, some people never returned to the camps but were detained and jailed by the police, it said.

“This is despite the fact that most of the Rohingya refugees have cards issued by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) acknowledging their status as refugees and granting them protections. Media reports detail how panic has gripped this already marginalised refugee community in Jammu after the verification drive and disappearance of family members,” it pointed out.

The plea contended the situation for the Rohingya refugees is precarious in Jammu as it was reported that the government has repeatedly stated that they did not recognise the UNHCR refugee cards, given to them.

It also pointed out the national security restriction can emphatically never permit mass refoulement as it is by default arbitrary for without any application of mind into the particular antecedents of each individual refugee. Expelling Rohingya due to their ethnic or religious origin cannot amount to a reasonable and individualised threat assessment.