No Rohingya should possess Indian documents: Rajnath Singh

DELHI: The Centre has issued orders to all states to ensure that no Rohingyas possess Indian documents of any kind. Minister of Home Affairs Rajnath Singh said that this would enable the government to speak to Myanmar over the refugee issue.

"We've issued orders to all states that no Rohingya should possess Indian documents, so that we can talk to the government of Myanmar and EAM Sushma Swaraj can speak with the foreign minister of Myanmar," Rajnath Singh said in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. The government is firm on its decision to deport Rohingyas back to Myanmar.  

Earlier on Wednesday, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju also said Rohingyas are living illegally in India. "They are illegal and won't be allowed to thrive in India," Rijiju said. 

This is also not the first time that the Rijiju spoke against the Rohingyas. In September 2017 also, Rijiju had mentioned that Rohingyas are illegal immigrants and should be deported. "I want to tell the international organisations whether the Rohingyas are registered under the United Nations Human Rights Commission or not. They are illegal immigrants in India," Rijiju had told reporters.

"As per law, they stand to be deported because they are illegal immigrants. We are a nation with great democratic tradition." "India has absorbed a maximum number of refugees in the world so nobody should give India any lessons on how to deal with refugees," he added.

Coming down hard on the people raising voice against the deportation of Rohingyas, Rajnath Singh too, has in the past, said that one shouldn't mistake illegal immigrants with people residing with refugee status. "The Rohingyas who have illegally entered India are not refugees," Singh categorically said, adding that there is a proper process to get refugee status, which needs to be followed.

Rohingya Muslims fled to India after violence in the western Rakhine State of Myanmar. Almost 700,000 refugees have fled violence in neighbouring Myanmar and arrived in Cox's Bazar since August 2017, according to the UN.