U-turn: Home Ministry denies flats for Rohingyas after Housing Minister hails move
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday (August 17) made it clear that it has not given any direction to provide EWS (economically weaker section) flats to Rohingya Muslims in Delhi and asked the Arvind Kejriwal government to ensure the illegal foreigners remain at their present location.
With respect to news reports in certain sections of media regarding Rohingya illegal foreigners, it is clarified that Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has not given any directions to provide EWS flats to Rohingya illegal migrants at Bakkarwala in New Delhi.
— गृहमंत्री कार्यालय, HMO India (@HMOIndia) August 17, 2022
The MHA also said the Rohingya illegal foreigners are to be kept in detention centres until their deportation as per the law and the Delhi government has been directed to declare the current site of their stay as a detention centre.
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“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,” an MHA spokesperson said.
On the proposed move by the Delhi government to shift the Rohingya Muslims to a new location, the MHA has directed the Delhi government to ensure that the Rohingya illegal foreigners remain at their present location as it has already taken up the matter of their deportation with the country concerned through the Ministry of External Affairs.
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“The illegal foreigners are to be kept in the 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,” the spokesperson said.
The response by MHA came after Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri on Wednesday (August 17) said Rohingya refugees will be shifted to apartments in Bakkarwala in outer Delhi and will also be provided basic amenities and police protection.
“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 & round-the-clock Delhi Police protection,” Puri tweeted.
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 & round-the-clock @DelhiPolice protection. @PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/E5ShkHOxqE
— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) August 17, 2022
According to data available with the Rohingya Human Rights Initiative (RHRI), 93 families are staying at the camp in Shaheen Bagh, 55 families in Madanpur Khadar, 76 families in Khajuri Khas and 43 in Vikaspuri.
The new accommodation for these families was discussed at a high-level meeting chief secretary of Delhi Naresh Kumar held with officials of the home ministry and Delhi Police in the last week of July, sources in the MHA had informed The Federal.
