Manipur Awaits To Deport Rohingya Prisoners From Imphal Jail

Guwahati: At a time when the central government claims that it would identify and deport Rohingyas taking refuge in India, many are wondering if that is even possible as Myanmar does not accept them as its citizens. Deportation requires the host country to confirm the citizenship of the individual being sent back. The government itself has said "what needs to be done with them is being discussed." 

In Manipur, which shares a porous, over 300 km long border with Myanmar, the BJP-led state government has once again urged the centre to start dialogue with Myanmar about their prisoners including Rohingya Muslims who are languishing in the highly secure Sajiwa Jail near Imphal after completing their jail term for illegal entry into India. 

NDTV has accessed pictures of Rohingyas in Manipur jail, stranded even after their jail terms are over. There are 22 inmates from Myanmar who are in Sajiwa central jail in Imphal - of them, 11 are Rohingya Muslims from the Rakhine state, who have been suffering in confinement after Myanmarese authorities refused to take them in. Ten of them have been in prison since 2012, and one from 2014.

"There are 22-23 people in jail; many from Rohingya community. We will give their list to the centre and the centre will get the deportation done. We will hand them over to the centre," said Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh. 

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Sources in the Manipur government informed NDTV that for the past three years every time attempts were made to deport them, Myanmar refused to accept them as their own citizens.

A government document on their present status that the Manipur government has recently shared with the centre shows that their jail term is over. The document also lists their address in Rakhine state which has been the theatre of the recent Myanmar army crackdown against the Rohingyas.

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