Agartala: Eighteen Rohingya refugees were on Thursday arrested from Teliamura under Khowai district for entering the country illegally, police said. India shares an 856 km border with Bangladesh in Tripura.
The arrested Rohingyas allegedly escaped from camps in Bangladesh and were heading to New Delhi. Superintendent of Police (Khowai district) Krishnendu Chakravertty said that acting on a tip-off, police raided a Guwahati-bound bus and arrested the refugees including 11 men, three women and four children.
"They came from Chittagong in neighbouring Bangladesh, but it is not clear which route they followed because they were giving confusing statements. However, they said that they are Rohingya refugees and were going to Vikas Nagar in Delhi in search of jobs, where many other Rohingyas are staying," the SP said.
On January 14, 2018, six Rohingya refugees were arrested from Dharmanagar railway station in North Tripura district, 170 km from Agartala. Eight others were arrested from Khayerpur market area in West Tripura district, 10 km from Agartala city, on November 29, 2017.
According to police, Rohingya refugees often sneak through Tripura to enter Indian soil. The Ministry of Home Affairs had asked the Tripura government last October to identify and monitor Rohingya refugees. The ministry had said that infiltration of Rohingyas from the Rakhine state of Myanmar into Indian territory is a burden on the limited resources of the country. Security challenges to the country are also aggravated by this influx, it said.
Myanmar"s military Junta regime cancelled nationality of Rohingya Muslims as per provisions of the Myanmar Citizenship Law, 1982. Many have since fled the county and lakhs are housed at refugee camps in Bangladesh. Several have taken shelter in India.
