Asylum and Protection Policies of India: Where do Rohingyas Stand?

Abstract

The Rohingya humanitarian crisis has displaced several hundred thousand people from Northern Rakhine State, Myanmar, to Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. The United Nations and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have characterized the Rohingya persecution as possessing "genocidal intent" and serving as a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing." This state-sponsored forced displacement is the result of persecution initiated earlier by the Myanmar government and was influenced by joint economic projects involving Indian interests in Rakhine State. Despite this, India has traditionally welcomed displaced populations from diverse countries, providing asylum and protection. Indeed, India is often framed as a mother country for asylum seekers and a protector of persecuted minorities across South Asia. Recent trends indicate that these traditional protection policies continue to drive minority migration toward India, with many Hindus migrating from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. However, despite the Rohingya being one of the most persecuted communities in the world—and sharing a major border with India—the Indian government has shown little interest in safeguarding them. While India allows other fleeing populations, particularly Hindus, to enter and seek citizenship, it remains reluctant to offer protection to this large group of forcibly displaced Rohingya.