Indian authorities threw dozens of refugees into the sea with life jackets — UN
UN accuses India of abandoning Rohingya refugees at sea — calls actions “outrageous” and life-threatening
The United Nations has launched an investigation into India’s treatment of Rohingya refugees after reports that Indian authorities forcibly removed dozens of refugees from a military vessel and abandoned them at sea near the Myanmar border. The incident, which occurred earlier in May, is being condemned as a violation of international law and a blatant act of cruelty.
According to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), at least 40 Rohingya refugees — including women, children, and the elderly — were detained in New Delhi and later pushed into the sea by the Indian Navy after being given life vests. Although they reportedly managed to swim to shore in Myanmar, their current whereabouts remain unknown.
Five Rohingya individuals confirmed to the Associated Press that their family members were among those detained by Indian authorities on May 6 and transported by plane before being abandoned at sea on May 8. Among the group were reportedly 15 Rohingya Christians.
Lawyer Dilawar Hussain, representing the families, stated that they have filed a petition with India’s Supreme Court, urging the government to bring their relatives back to New Delhi.
The OHCHR described India’s actions as “reprehensible and unacceptable”, urging the government to cease what it called “inhumane and life-threatening treatment” of Rohingya refugees, including their forced return to unsafe conditions in Myanmar.
UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, condemned the incident as “a flagrant disregard for the lives and safety of people in need of international protection”, calling it nothing short of “outrageous.”
“Such cruel actions are an affront to human dignity and constitute a serious violation of the principle of non-refoulement — a cornerstone of international law that prohibits returning individuals to a country where they face threats to their life or freedom,” Andrews stated.
India currently has no national refugee policy and is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol. Yet the country hosts tens of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who fled persecution and alleged genocide in Myanmar’s Rakhine State.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), around 40,000 Rohingya refugees live in India, with at least 22,500 registered with the UNHCR. Most reside in poverty-stricken camps across multiple Indian states.
In recent years, Rohingya refugees have faced increased harassment and violence from Hindu nationalist groups, who demand their expulsion. Many are detained in immigration holding centers, labeled as illegal immigrants, and some have already been deported to Bangladesh or Myanmar.
In 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government introduced a controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which critics say discriminates against Muslim migrants, including the Rohingya.
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