Hyderabad: MHA advisory turns the spotlight back on Rohingyas

The latest communication from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to states and Union territories has brought the Rohingya refugees under COVID-19 radar. The MHA has said that Rohingyas and their contacts may have to be screened as there were reports that some of them had attended the Tablighi Jamaat meetings in Haryana and Delhi. The letter specifically mentions that Rohingyas staying in Hyderabad camps had attended the meetings. 

According to police officials and local activists, Rohingyas residing in and around Hyderabad may number around 5000. A majority of them stay in Balapur on the outskirts of Hyderabad. Most of them are daily wage workers. A few of them, spread across the city in hutments or one-room houses, also run small grocery shops. Almost all the Rohingyas in the city live in abject poverty, with the refugee card issued by the United Nations becoming their most important legal document. 

When asked about the action that will be initiated following the letter from the MHA, Rachakonda commissioner, Mahesh Bhagwat said, “We have documented their details; none of them are missing. We have already screened them. We are waiting for the official order from MHA to reach us. After that, we will decide what to do next.”

Earlier this month, a group of Rohingyas was identified by the Telangana police based on their travel history. It was reported that all those tho had travelled to north India for Tablighi Jamaat programmes were screened and quarantined. Senior police officials from Nalgonda district were quoted as saying that two Rohingyas had already tested positive. It is not clear as to how many Rohingyas are undergoing treatment for COVID-19 at this point of time.

Meanwhile, some activity was noticed on Saturday morning in localities inhabited by Rohingyas. According to locals, health and police officials held discussions with the elders of the community. It is learnt that the officials may start screening all the refugees. A source within the Rohingyas informed that another group from the city is stuck in north India because of the lockdown. 

In the past, Rohingyas had come under scrutiny for allegedly obtaining Aadhaar cards through fraudulent methods, leading to a few arrests.