Rohingyas will be deported, says Centre

New Delhi: The decision to deport 40,000 Rohingya Muslims, who are illegal immigrants from Myanmar, has been taken keeping in mind national security threats, the Centre told the Supreme Court on Monday through an affidavit. It said that being a policy decision, the court should not interfere with it.

In a fresh affidavit filed on Monday on a batch of writ petitions filed by Mohammed Salimullah and others for a stay on deportation, the Centre said the continuance of the Rohingyas’ illegal immigration into India and their continued stay, apart from being illegal, was found to have serious national security ramifications and pose serious security threats.

Senior counsel Fali S. Nariman, Kapil Sibal, Rajeev Dhavan and Prashant Bhushan strongly opposed the statement to this effect by additional solicitor-general Tushar Mehta before a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud, and sought permission to file a reply.

The bench, while asking the petitioner to reply, posted the matter for further hearing on October 3, and said the legal position,  including the court’s jurisdiction, would be examined on that day. 

Mr Nariman submitted that if something untoward happened in the meanwhile, they would have the liberty to approach the court.

The ASG told the court that the government would place facts in detail which the Centre has been receiving for many years as well as other information concerning national security in a sealed cover only for the perusal of the court.

Centre says Rohingyas taking part in anti-national activites
Union home minister Rajnath Singh, meanwhile, said it was now for the Supreme Court to take a call on the issue. Speaking on the sidelines of an event here, Mr Singh said, “An affidavit has been filed. Whatever decision is, it will be taken by the court”.

The Centre said some Rohingyas are indulging in illegal and anti-national activities such as mobilisation of funds via hundi/hawala channels, procuring fake/fabricated Indian identity documents for other Rohingyas and indulging in human trafficking. 

Many of them managed to acquire fake/fraudulently identity documents such as PAN cards and voter ID cards.

It was also found by the Centre that many Rohingyas figure in the suspected designs of ISI/ISIS and other extremist groups targeting India.