Supreme Court allows deportation of seven Rohingyas from Assam to Myanmar

The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed the deportation of seven Rohingyas to Myanmar, who had illegally migrated to Assam in 2012. The apex court said that the seven Rohingyas were found to be illegal immigrants and Myanmar had accepted them as its citizens.

"Having considered the prayer, we would not like to interfere with the decision taken. The petition is dismissed," a bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices SK Kaul and KM Joseph said.

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The bench rejected the plea made by one of the Rohingya immigrants Mohammad Salimullah and Mohammad Shaqir, who had filed an application seeking to restrain the Centre from deporting to Myanmar the seven Rohingyas lodged in a detention centre at Silchar in Assam. They had challenged the Centre’s decision to deport over 40,000 refugees who came to India after escaping from Myanmar due to widespread discrimination and violence against the community.

The Centre told the Supreme Court that the seven Rohingyas had illegally migrated to India in 2012 and they were convicted under Foreigners Act. Myanmar has issued a certificate of identity to the seven Rohingyas along with a month’s visa to facilitate their deportation.

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Rohingya immigrants will be handed over to the Myanmar authorities in Moreh border post in Manipur on Thursday, a Home Ministry official had said Wednesday.

(With PTI inputs)