Jabeda Khatun was devastated when she found out her daughter and granddaughter were in Myanmar, the country they fled eight years ago due to a genocide. Photo: Shaheen Abdulla/Maktoob
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) on Thursday expressed concern over India’s continued deportation of Rohingya refugees and Bengali-speaking Muslims, describing the actions as violations of international law and religious freedom.
According to the commission, Indian authorities deported at least 40 Rohingya refugees to Myanmar in May, forcing them to undertake a dangerous boat journey. Rights groups have also reported that since then, hundreds of Bengali-speaking Muslims have been expelled to Bangladesh without proper legal procedures.
United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, Thomas Andrews, has launched an inquiry into the deportation of the 40 Rohingya refugees, terming the actions deeply troubling and unacceptable, Maktoob Media reported.
Human Rights Watch reported that at least 192 Rohingya refugees, registered with the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR), were expelled from India.
While the Indian government has not released official figures, the Border Guard Bangladesh stated that India deported over 1,500 Muslim men, women, and children to Bangladesh between May 7 and June 15, which included around 100 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar.
USCIRF Chair Vicky Hartzler criticised the deportations, saying they reflect a clear violation of international law and the principle of non-refoulement. She urged Indian authorities to immediately halt what she described as unlawful expulsions and arbitrary detentions, warning that the refugees face serious risks of persecution if sent back to Myanmar.
India has sheltered thousands of Rohingya refugees since 2017 but does not officially recognise them as refugees under the Foreigners Act. Authorities have also classified many Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam as “illegal immigrants” from Bangladesh, linking this stance to the broader implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
USCIRF Commissioner Stephen Schneck criticised this policy, saying that forcing Muslims to prove their citizenship amounts to targeting individuals based on their religious identity and violates India’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
In its 2025 annual report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. State Department designate India as a “Country of Particular Concern,” citing what it described as systematic, ongoing, and severe violations of religious freedom.
Indian officials, however, have consistently rejected USCIRF’s findings, labelling them “biased and inaccurate” and asserting that the commission has no authority to interfere in India’s internal matters.