By: Camp Correspondent
May 8, 2025 | New Delhi, India
Dozens of Rohingya refugees were arrested in a late-night crackdown by Indian authorities in Uttam Nagar, New Delhi, on May 6, triggering panic and confusion among the Rohingya community across India. According to eyewitnesses, the detainees include men, women, and prominent community activists, some were registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and held valid refugee ID cards.
The operation reportedly began on the night of May 5 and continued well into the following day. Local sources estimate that hundreds of refugees may have been detained. Many families have since lost contact with their loved ones, and the exact location or condition of the detainees remains unknown.
“Even those with UNHCR cards were not spared,” said a local community member. “We don’t know where they’ve taken them. Everyone is scared. Families are breaking down in tears.”
Deportation Threat Looms Despite UN Recognition
Activists and civil society groups fear that the arrested Rohingya may face immediate deportation to Myanmar, despite international protections under refugee law. India is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, and over the past two years, the government has repeatedly stated its intent to repatriate undocumented Rohingya, referring to them as “illegal migrants.”
“The Indian government’s actions violate the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning refugees to a country where they may face persecution,” said a refugee rights advocate based in Delhi.
With no functioning civilian government and an ongoing civil war in Rakhine State, human rights organizations warn that any deportation to Myanmar at this stage would amount to forced return to a zone of grave danger.
Fear Spreads Through Rohingya Communities in India
It is estimated that over 18,000 Rohingya refugees reside in India, many of them registered with the UNHCR and living in settlements across Delhi, Jammu, Hyderabad, and Haryana. However, the majority lack legal status or access to protection, making them highly vulnerable to detention and deportation.
In the wake of the crackdown, community leaders have urged Rohingya families to stay indoors and avoid public spaces, fearing further raids. Some families are reportedly planning to go underground or leave their shelters entirely.
“We came here to escape genocide. Now we are being hunted like criminals,” said one Rohingya father whose son was taken by police during the raid.
A Stateless People Under Siege
The Rohingya, long denied citizenship in Myanmar and labeled as “Bengali outsiders” by successive governments, have fled multiple waves of ethnic cleansing and violence since 1978. Many of those now in India escaped during the 2012 riots in Arakan State or the 2017 genocide, only to find themselves once again stateless, undocumented, and at risk of forced removal.
With Myanmar still engulfed in armed conflict, and reports of fresh atrocities by the Arakan Army and military junta continuing to emerge from Rakhine State, the situation for returning refugees remains extremely dangerous.
Rohingya community leaders and international observers are urging the Indian government to halt all deportation plans, release detained refugees, and engage with UNHCR and humanitarian organizations to develop a rights-based framework for refugee protection.
“If India forcibly returns these refugees to Myanmar, it will be complicit in exposing them to persecution, detention, and possibly death,” said a regional human rights expert.
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