More than 100 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, including women and children, have been on hunger strike since Monday, at the Matia Transit Camp in Assam, India, demanding an end to their indefinite detention.
The detainees are urging the Indian government to hand them over to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for eventual resettlement in a third country, Scroll.in reported.
The protesters include 103 Rohingya Muslims and 30 Christian Chin refugees, many of whom hold refugee cards issued by the UNHCR, Reuters reported.
These refugees fled Myanmar following a military-led crackdown in 2017, which resulted in the exodus of more than a million Rohingya to neighboring countries like Bangladesh and India.
Despite being granted refugee status, many have been detained for extended periods, even after completing sentences related to their illegal entry into India.
The Matia Transit Camp, located in Assam’s Goalpara district, is India’s largest detention facility for undocumented migrants. It currently houses 211 detainees.
Nearly all the detainees were convicted of violating visa provisions under Indian laws. However, many have completed their sentences and are demanding that they be handed over to UNHCR for resettlement abroad.
A report by the Assam State Legal Services Authority, submitted to the Supreme Court of India in August, described the living conditions as “deplorable.” The report highlighted inadequate water supply, poor sanitation, and substandard food quality.
State officials, including Assam’s Chief Secretary Ravi Kota, have acknowledged the protest and sent representatives to the camp to investigate.
No immediate resolution has been proposed, and the refugees continue their hunger strike, hoping to be transferred to the UNHCR’s care.
UNHCR, in a statement, reiterated that the detention of asylum seekers should be a measure of last resort, as per international law.
The agency noted that there are currently 676 Rohingya refugees in immigration detention across India, with 608 of them having no ongoing court cases or sentences pending.
Sabber Kyaw Min, the founder and director of the Rohingya Human Rights Initiative condemned the detention of refugees despite having refugee cards.
“These detention centres don’t follow the UN Nelson Mandela Rules, which set the minimum standards for the treatment of prisoners,” Min said. “We Rohingya came to India because we were forced out of our homes. Now, we are worried about our safety here too.”