Hours after Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri statement, the Union Home Ministry on Wednesday denied any move to shift Rohingya Muslims in Delhi to economically weaker section (EWS) flats and directed the Delhi government to ensure the “illegal foreigners” remain in detention centres pending their extradition.
The Home Ministry’s clarification came following the Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri putting out a tweet saying India has always welcomed those who have sought refuge in the country and announcing that all Rohingya refugees would be shifted to EWS flats in east Delhi’s Bakkarwala area, and to this, the Home Ministry issued a statement clarifying its position, news agency PTI report said.
“Illegal foreigners are to be kept in Detention Centre till their deportation as per law. The Government of Delhi has not declared the present location as a Detention Centre. They have been directed to do the same immediately,” a spokesperson said in the statement on Twitter. “With respect to news reports in certain sections of media regarding Rohingya illegal foreigners, it is clarified that the MHA has not given any directions to provide EWS flats to Rohingya illegal migrants at Bakkarwala in New Delhi,” the spokesperson said.
The Union Minister tagged a news agency story in his posts and said those who had made a career out of spreading canards on India’s refugee policy deliberately linking it to CAA will be disappointed. “India respects & follows @UN Refugee Convention 1951 & provides refuge to all, regardless of their race, religion or creed,” he said. “India has always welcomed those who have sought refuge in the country. In a landmark decision all #Rohingya #Refugees will be shifted to EWS flats in Bakkarwala area of Delhi. They will be provided basic amenities, UNHCR IDs and round-the-clock @DelhiPolice protection,” he posted.
As per the Home Ministry estimate, around 40,000 Rohingya migrants live in different parts of the country, including Delhi, noting that the Delhi government proposed to shift Rohingya Muslims to a new location, the Home Ministry said it has directed the Delhi government to ensure “these illegal foreigners” remain at their present location, the report said. It has already taken up the matter of their deportation with the country concerned through the Ministry of External Affairs, the Home Ministry said.
(With inputs from PTI)
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