Rohingya refugees have IS, ISI links: Centre to SC ›

SECURITY THREAT Says plan to deport them a policy decision that courts should stay out of

Continuance of Rohingyas’ illegal immigration into India, apart from being absolutely illegal, has serious security threats CENTRE’S AFFIDAVIT, filed in the Supreme Court

NEWDELHI: Many Rohingya refugees have links with the Islamic State and Pakistan’s spy agency ISI, the government told the Supreme Court on Monday, as it sought to win legal backing to deport tens of thousands of them for being a “serious security threat” to India.

The government also said if allowed to stay, the Rohingya refugees would exhaust natural resources meant for Indians that could culminate in hostility towards them and lead to social tension and law and order problems.

It said the plan to deport Rohingya refugees was a policy decision and the court should desist from interfering. In response, the court said it will soon take up the question of whether it has jurisdiction over the matter.

The government’s argument was in response to a petition filed by two Rohingya refugees challenging any Indian decision to deport an estimated 40,000 people of the community who fled alleged persecution in Myanmar.

Many experts have questioned where India could send the Rohingya Muslims. Human Rights Watch urged India, the world’s biggest democracy, to follow the international principle of non-refoulement which prohibits sending back refugees to a place where their lives are in danger.

The United Nations says there are 16,000 registered Rohingya in India, but many more are undocumented.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra refused to issue a formal notice to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to know the stand of an “independent body.” This despite senior counsel, including Fali S Nariman — arguing in favour of Rohingyas — insisting on it.

“We will see the legal position, whether we have the jurisdiction or not. We need to see what kind of jurisdiction can be invoked,” the bench told the lawyers, fixing October 3 to hear the petition and a slew of intervention applications filed by both sides.

Nariman, who wanted a hearing on Friday, took the court’s liberty to approach it earlier if any “untoward” incident takes place with the immigrants.

Government said in its affidavit that unless it took action, illegal immigrants would drain resources meant for Indian citizens, depriving them of their legitimate share.

“Any indulgence shown by the highest court of the country would encourage the illegal influx of illegal migrants into our country and thereby deprive the citizens of India of their fundamental and basic human rights,” the ministry of home affairs said in the affidavit.