The authorities in Jammu have intensified their efforts to tackle illegal immigration of Rohingya in the region. According to reports, the administration has decided to disconnect electricity and water supplies to the plots and semi-constructed houses where Rohingyas are residing.
The presence of Rohingyas in Jammu has been flagged as a potential security threat, especially in light of increasing militant attacks in the region. Officials fear that the youth among these immigrants could be exploited by anti-national elements.
The latest figures estimate that approximately 6,500 Rohingyas are residing in Jammu district in Narwal Bhatindi, Railway Station, Qasim Nagar, and Channi Rama. Smaller numbers of Rohingyas are living in Samba and Kathua districts, as well as scattered families in Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, Rajouri, and Poonch.
The police have launched a major crackdown, registering First Information Reports (FIRs) against property owners who have rented their properties to Rohingyas without conducting mandatory tenant verification.
The authorities are also targeting those who provided support for illegal settlements, including individuals and organisations.
Reports said that between 2008 and 2014, the number of Rohingyas and Bangladeshi nationals in Jammu surged to around 13,700.
Many of these immigrants had earlier managed to secure essential documents such as Aadhaar cards, ration cards, and domicile certificates through systemic loopholes.
The current crackdown is aimed at not only displacing illegal immigrants but also sending a strong message that such activities will not be tolerated in Jammu.
The Rohingya immigrants, who practice Islam, belong to Myanmar's Rakhine state and fled to Bangladesh after the Myanmar military launched a crackdown against them.
Some of them later crossed over to India from Bangladesh in search of a better life. Some were accepted as refugees but others spread to different parts of India, especially in the north including Jammu. In Jammu, the Rohingyas took menial jobs and set up small colonies on rented plots.
