Centre files an affidavit, says Rohingya refugees are a threat to National Security

The Indian government today filed an affidavit in the apex court asserting thatRohingyas are a threat to national security.

The government asked the Supreme Court to not allow Rohingyasto stay in India as refugees as they could be used by domestic and foreign terror groups against the country.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has said in the affidavit that intelligence inputs have suggested the refugees are linked to the terror groups. The affidavit said,"National interest warrants their deportation. No illegal immigrant has the right to stay in India."

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Right now, almost 40,000 Rohingyas have settled in India in which only 16,000 have received documentation, as estimated by the United Nations.

Home minister Rajnath Singh has also called Rohingyas as a threat to national security earlier this week saying that they cannot rule out the possibility of security threat. He said,"I have already cleared our stand with regard to illegal immigrants," a media report reported.

The apex court, next week, will hear the plea filed by Mohammad Salimullah and Mohammad Shaqir(Rohingya immigrants) who challenged the centre's decision to deport illegal Rohingya immigrants back to Myanmar.

The United Nations' human rights official Zeid Ra'al al-Hussein has critised India earlier this week for wanting to deport Rohingya refugees.

However, India has decided to send consignments of humanitarian assistance to Dhaka for the Rohingya refugees who have fled from Myanmar in these months. India is providing food and other essential items needed for the refugees in Bangladesh. The help and relief material arebeing provided under the program named, "Operation Insaniyat".