“Thrown Into the Sea”: UN Slams India Over Alleged Deportation of Rohingya Refugees
NEW DELHI In a disturbing revelation that has ignited global outrage, Indian authorities are being accused of casting dozens of Rohingya refugees some women and children into the sea near Myanmar, according to the United Nations and accounts from family members of the victims.
The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights confirmed Thursday that at least 40 Rohingya refugees, detained in New Delhi earlier this month, were forcibly deported by India’s navy and abandoned at sea with nothing but life jackets. The incident reportedly took place near Myanmar’s maritime border on May 8, after the detainees were flown from Delhi to the coast.
“This is not just unacceptable it’s inhumane,” the U.N. said in a scathing statement, describing the act as a violation of international human rights law and basic decency.
A Watery Exile
Eyewitnesses and family members told the Associated Press that Indian authorities removed the refugees’ restraints and blindfolds before ordering them to swim to an island believed to be in Myanmar territory. Many of the refugees, including at least 15 Christians, managed to make landfall but their whereabouts now remain unknown.
“My parents were taken from me and thrown into the waters,” said one refugee in India, whose entire family—two brothers, parents, and sister-in-law were among those forced into the sea. “I just want my parents back. Nothing else.”
Phone calls from Myanmar’s coast have trickled in from those who managed to survive. One refugee borrowed a fisherman’s phone to call his brother in India, recounting the trauma and confusion of being abandoned at sea. Others claimed they were beaten by naval officers before being offloaded.
Global Condemnation Mounts
The United Nations has appointed a special rapporteur to investigate what they’re calling “blatant disregard for the lives and safety of refugees.” U.N. Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews condemned the deportation as a direct breach of non-refoulement a key principle in international law prohibiting the return of refugees to countries where their lives are at risk.
“These cruel actions are an affront to human decency,” Andrews said. “This is nothing short of outrageous.”
A Legal and Moral Grey Zone
India, notably, does not have a formal refugee law and is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol. As a result, the legal status of the estimated 40,000 Rohingya living in India is precarious. Of that number, around 22,500 are registered with the UNHCR, but many still live in detention or squalid camps under constant threat of deportation.
Lawyer Dilawar Hussain, who represents the deported refugees, has filed an urgent petition in India’s Supreme Court to demand their safe return.
“This case strikes at the heart of constitutional protections and India’s obligations under international law,” Hussain said.
Politics, Persecution, and Polarization
Rohingya Muslims have long faced persecution in Myanmar, particularly in Rakhine State, where allegations of genocide and ethnic cleansing have drawn international condemnation. Many fled to neighboring countries, including India, seeking safety and asylum.
But in recent years, India’s Hindu nationalist groups have openly called for the expulsion of Rohingya refugees, branding them as illegal immigrants. Some have already been deported to Bangladesh or Myanmar, often without due process.
Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government drew fierce criticism for passing a controversial citizenship law seen by critics as discriminatory against Muslim migrants including the Rohingya.
No Comment, No Accountability
Despite repeated inquiries, India’s navy and foreign ministry have refused to comment on the allegations. Myanmar’s military junta has also remained silent, further deepening concerns for the safety of the deported refugees.
A Crisis Unfolding in Silence
While the world watches war unfold in Europe and political turmoil stir elsewhere, an invisible crisis is playing out in South Asia’s waters, where stateless people are cast off like unwanted cargo. For the families left behind, each unanswered phone call deepens the trauma and each day without news tightens the grip of despair.
As the global community takes notice, the question remains: Will accountability follow? Or will these human lives simply become footnotes in a story of international indifference?
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“Thrown Into the Sea”: UN Slams India Over Alleged Deportation of Rohingya Refugees