Opposition MPs urge PM Modi to intervene to protect rights of African refugees arrested in Delhi

Two Opposition MPs have urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in the arrest of several African refugees in Delhi, calling for the protection of their rights and dignity.

In the past week, the Delhi Police has arrested nearly 30 African refugees and sent them to a detention facility.

Ankit Chauhan, the deputy commissioner of police in South Delhi, had told Scroll that the arrests were part of a “routine exercise” as the refugees were “illegally overstaying their visas and passports”.

However, human rights activists have alleged that the police seem to be “going after” African refugees, as has been the case with the detention of Rohingya refugees in recent months.

In a letter on Thursday, Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) said that police personnel have been conducting raids, detaining Sudanese, Yemeni and Somali refugees, and sending them to the Lampur detention centre.

In a separate letter, Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Kumar Jha of the Rashtriya Janata Dal said that the detained persons were not undocumented migrants but recognised refugees holding valid identity cards issued by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

He was referring to the identity documents issued to refugees and asylum-seekers by the United Nations body. While the card protects against refugees from being sent back...

Read more