In a first, seven Rohingya Muslims were on Thursday formally handed over by Indian authorities to Myanmar officials at Moreh in Manipur, after the Supreme Court's refusal to stay their deportation.
"Seven Myanmarese nationals have been deported today. They were handed over to the authorities of the Myanmar at Moreh border post in Manipur," Assam Additional Director General of Police (Border) Bhaskar J. Mahanta told PTI over phone.
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According to officials, these Rohingya immigrants were staying in Assam illegally.
These Rohingyas were detained by police from Cachar Central Jail in Assam's Silchar district where they were under detention since 2012.
Consular access had been given to Myanmar diplomats, who confirmed the identity of the immigrants, the official said.
The Supreme Court refused to interfere in Centre’s decision to deport 7 Rohingya refugees to Myanmar. The Centre informed the Supreme Court that Myanmar has accepted the Rohingyas as their citizens and has agreed to take them back.
This is for the first time Rohingya immigrants would be sent back to Myanmar from India.
In Guwahati, Assam Additional Director General of Police (Border) Bhaskarjyoti Mahanta said deportation of foreign nationals have been going on for sometime and earlier in the year "we have deported several Bangladeshi, Myanmarese and Pakistani nationals".
The seven immigrants were apprehended on July 29, 2012, for violating the Foreigners Act. Those deported are Md Jamal, Mohbul Khan, Jamal Hussain, Md Yonus, Sabir Ahmed, Rahim Uddin and Md Salam and are in the age bracket of 26-32 years, a Cachar district official said.
The Indian government had informed Parliament last year that over 14,000 Rohingya people, registered with the UN refugee agency UNHCR, stay in India.
(With PTI inputs)
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