The Rohingya, originally from Rakhine state, are fleeing persecution in Myanmar. (AFP)
Amnesty India said on Monday that the Indian government's expulsion of Rohingya asylum-seekers to Myanmar shows a disdain for international laws.
On January 4, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said a family of Rohingya asylum-seekers from Rakhine state was sent back to Myanmar after being detained in Assam, where they had been serving a prison term since 2013 for entering India illegally.
Amnesty India issued a statement saying it regretted India's decision to repatriate the asylum-seekers to Myanmar, where they face persecution.
"The fact that the government ignored the UNHCR''s requests for access to the family, who were registered as asylum-seekers, is deeply concerning. The government's actions indicate blatant disregard for the international refugee protection mechanism and the mandate of the UN Refugee Agency," Abhirr VP, senior campaigner for Amnesty India, said.