Over13,000 Rohingya, Tibetan refugees staying in J&K: Govt

Amir Karim Tantray

Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 11

As Jammu-centric parties have been raising the issue of presence of illegal immigrants, especially Rohingya refugees, in Jammu and foreseeing them as a threat to the security of the region, the state government today informed that 13,433 Rohingya and Tibetan refugees were living in the state.

There are also 322 foreigners living in different districts of the state.

Rohingya refugees have entered the state on their own and nobody guided them to travel thousands of miles to reach Jammu, the government said.

In a written reply to a question raised by BJP MLA Rajesh Gupta, Minister for Home Mehbooba Mufti, said there were 322 foreigners and 13,433 Rohingya and Tibetan refugees living in Jammu and Kashmir. “These include 7,690 Tibetans and 5,743 Rohingyas. While Rohingyas are mainly staying in Jammu and Samba districts, Tibetans are staying in the Ladakh region,” the minister said.

Replying to the second part of the question, as who is supporting their stay in Jammu, the Home Minister said, “Some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) namely Sakhawat, run by Muhammad-ul-Umar of Srinagar, along with Dr Rashid, son of Ghulam Muhammad of Vidhata Nagar, Bathindi, Jammu, SR Institute of Development, based at Rambagh, Srinagar, a Delhi-based NGO, namely DAJI, run by Ravi Hemadri, and Save the Children, run by Neha Gandota, are helping Rohingyas in cash and kind from time to time.”

“However, strict surveillance is being kept on the activities of these foreigners and organisations helping them,” Mehbooba Mufti said.

As the government made it clear that none of the Rohingyas are involved in any militancy-related activities, but 17 FIRs stand registered against 38 Rohingyas for various offences, including illegal border-crossing.

The government said they had not initiated any step to deport these refugees. they were holding registration and identity certificates issued by TR ITBP/RPO, New Delhi, and also had UNHRC cards and initiation of deportation proceedings against them would not be appropriate as per the international law.