7 Rohingya immigrants staying illegally in Assam deported to Myanmar

New Delhi: India on Thursday deported seven Rohingya immigrants, who have been staying in Assam illegally, to their country of origin Myanmar, in a first such move with regard to the people from the Rakhine province of the neighbouring country.

The illegal immigrants were detained in 2012 and since then they were lodged in Cachar Central Jail in Assam’s Silchar.

“Seven Myanmarese nationals have been deported today. They were handed over to the authorities of Myanmar at Moreh border post in Manipur,” Assam Additional Director General of Police (Border) Bhaskar J Mahanta told news agency PTI over the phone.

Consular access had been given to Myanmar diplomats, who confirmed the identity of the immigrants, Mahanta said.