Rohingya families in Jammu endure detention during Ramadan
Detention of more than 250 Rohingya refugees in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir leaves families separated as Ramadan deepens hardship
SRINAGAR, Kashmir (MNTV) — For many Rohingya refugee families living in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, Ramadan this year has been marked by separation and uncertainty rather than the usual gatherings and shared meals associated with the Muslim holy month.
More than 250 Rohingya refugees remain in detention after being taken into custody during a series of police operations launched in 2021 to identify undocumented migrants in the Jammu region. According to ETV Bharat, the detainees are being held at a holding center in Hiranagar in Kathua district, near the border with Pakistan.
The Rohingya are a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority from Myanmar who fled a brutal military campaign in 2017 that forced hundreds of thousands to seek refuge across South and Southeast Asia. While the majority live in refugee camps in Bangladesh, smaller communities have settled in parts of India, including the Jammu region.
In Jammu, many Rohingya families had been living in refugee settlements such as the Narwal camp before authorities began identifying and detaining individuals accused of lacking valid travel documents. The detentions have left many families split between detention facilities and refugee camps.
In some households, parents remain in detention while their children struggle to survive in camps with elderly relatives. In others, minors have reportedly been detained while their parents remain outside, creating additional emotional and financial strain.
One affected family is that of Mohammad Shah and his wife Bibi Zareen, who were detained in 2021. Their three children now live with their 72-year-old grandmother, Fathima, who reportedly survives by begging in neighborhoods near the Narwal and Bathindi refugee settlements to provide food for the children.
Similar hardship has been reported in the family of Abul Hussain, another detainee whose wife died in 2021. His five children remain in the Narwal camp, where the eldest son has begun collecting plastic waste at Jammu railway station to support his younger siblings.
Members of the Rohingya refugee community say many detainees have remained in custody for years because families lack the financial resources to pursue legal challenges.
The situation has also become entangled in broader political tensions surrounding Rohingya refugees in the region. Several Hindu extremist groups and political organizations have demanded their deportation, arguing that the presence of undocumented refugees poses security concerns.
Human rights advocates say the prolonged detention of refugees, including minors, highlights the humanitarian consequences of policies targeting stateless communities displaced by violence.
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