India Expels Rohingya; Some Forced into Sea, Rights Group Says

 Since May 2025, Indian authorities have been expelling Rohingya refugees to Bangladesh and Myanmar without proper legal protection, a move criticized by Human Rights Watch as a violation of international law. These expulsions are part of a campaign by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to deport what it calls "illegal immigrants."

Widespread mistreatment and arbitrary detention

An article published on the United Nations website highlights several cases of these expulsions and points to the mistreatment of refugees by Indian authorities under the extremist and racist BJP government. It states that at least 192 Rohingya refugees, including some registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), were expelled to Bangladesh. In a shocking incident, 40 Rohingya refugees were reportedly put on a ship near the coast of Myanmar and forced to swim to shore. Human Rights Watch interviewed nine Rohingya individuals who had recently arrived in Bangladesh from India. Six of them said that Indian authorities assaulted them and confiscated their belongings, including money and UNHCR cards. The other three fled to Bangladesh for fear of arbitrary arrest after receiving threats from the Indian police.

The number of Rohingya residing in India is estimated at around 40,000, at least half of whom are registered with the UNHCR. Although India is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, it is bound by the principle of non-refoulement under customary international law, which prohibits the return of people to places where their lives or freedom are threatened.

Specific testimonies of abuse

This is based on specific testimonies from an article published on the UNHCR website. A 37-year-old woman stated that Indian Border Security Force officials forced her family into Bangladesh at gunpoint. She said her husband was slapped and beaten so badly that he suffered hearing loss for asking where they should go. Another account describes how 40 Rohingya were detained in Delhi, flown to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and then forced onto an Indian naval ship. The crew reportedly beat and interrogated them before forcing them to jump into the sea near the coast of Myanmar.

Tom Andrews, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar, commented that the incident shows "a blatant disregard for the lives and safety of those who require international protection." Another refugee, a 40-year-old man from Hyderabad, recounted how his family was beaten by police at a train station and had their money and belongings confiscated. They were then forced to record a video stating that they were from Bangladesh and trying to enter India before being pushed across the border.

The UN Special Rapporteur had previously written to the Indian government to express concern about the widespread and indefinite arbitrary detention of refugees, as well as the poor detention conditions. The article mentions that the policy toward the Rohingya changed in 2017 when the extremist and racist BJP government issued instructions to deport "illegal foreign nationals."

Escalating insecurity and legal challenges

The expulsions have created a climate of insecurity for the remaining Rohingya in India. In Jammu, refugee shelters have been vandalized, and at least 30 refugees have been arbitrarily arrested. The Supreme Court of India is set to decide whether the Rohingya are "refugees" or "illegal entrants," although it refused to halt the deportations last May.

Human Rights Watch has called on the Indian government to immediately stop the intimidation, arbitrary detention, and unlawful expulsion of all Rohingya refugees, and to conduct an impartial investigation into the allegations of mistreatment. It has also urged India to recognize the Rohingya as refugees and to cooperate with the UNHCR to protect their rights.
------------ 

For further readings:
IICO Provides 175 Safe Homes to Shelter 1050 Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh

The Missing Link in the Rohingya Crisis