BSF doubles down on Rohingya:  

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BSF doubles down on Rohingya 

Context

A total of 167 vulnerable points were identified along the Bangladesh border, and additional forces deployed to detect and push back the Rohingya

What has happened?

The Border Security Force, manning the 4096.7-km border, has asked the Union Home Ministry to sanction recruitment of 5,000 more men so as to identify and stop the Rohingya. The BSF has said that most Rohingya had entered India through three points: South 24 Parganas and Hili in Dakshin Dinajpur of West Bengal and Karimganj in Assam

Backdrop

  • In mid-October 2017, after the Supreme Court put on hold the Centre’s plan to deport the Rohingya, security agencies convened a high-level meeting to enhance deployment on the eastern border to stop the refugees from crossing over to India
  • A total of 167 vulnerable points were identified along the Bangladesh border, and additional forces deployed to detect and push back the Rohingya
  • The Supreme Court is hearing a petition by two Rohingya — Mohammad Shamiullah and Mohammad Shaqir — against the Centre’s plan to deport the illegal immigrants. The next date of hearing is December 5

Difficult to distinguish

BSF director has said that it is difficult to distinguish between the Rohingya and the Bangladeshis as they have similar facial features, and BSF soldiers were not equipped to differentiate between the two on the basis of their dialect. He said that so far, none of the Rohingya apprehended on the border carried arms, ammunition or any objectionable item

Rohingyas in India

By the Home Ministry’s estimate, there are around 40,000 Rohingya in India, including 5700 in Jammu

  • Few have registered: Only 16,000 of them are said to have registered themselves with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
  • Rohingya came to India in large numbers during 2012-13.

Identification of illegal immigrants

On August 9, the Home Ministry asked all the States, through a circular, to identify undocumented immigrants and deport them as per procedure

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