India, Bangladesh to expedite Rohingyas' deportation: Govt

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 11

Noting that India has discussed with Bangladesh at the highest level the issue of repatriation of Rohingya migrants, the government on Tuesday informed the Lok Sabha that both the countries had agreed on the need to expedite their safe, speedy and sustainable return.

Replying to a written question, Minister of State (MoS) for Home Nityanand Rai said there were reports of some Rohingya migrants indulging in illegal activities.

Rai said the Central Government had issued instructions from time to time to the state governments requesting them to sensitise the law enforcement and intelligence agencies for taking appropriate steps for identification of illegal migrants and their restriction to specified locations as per provisions of law.

The instructions also include capturing their biographic and biometric particulars, cancellation of fake Indian documents, and starting legal process, including initiation of deportation proceedings as per the provisions of law, the minister said.

The minister, while replying to another question, said the government had decided not to send to the detention centre, pending a final decision, the children who got excluded from the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam but their parents are included.

“Attorney General had stated on January 6, 2020 before the Supreme Court that the children of parents included in NRC, Assam, would not be separated from their parents and sent to detention centre in Assam pending their decision on the applications,” the minister said.

The NRC exercise was carried out in Assam under the supervision of the Supreme Court and around 19 lakh people did not find themselves on the final list published in August 2019.