India surveying the number of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar

Rohingya Muslim children attend a temporary school, run by a non-government organisation at a slum in New Delhi, India, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2017. A day after the U.N. chief voiced concern about Indian plans to potentially deport tens of thousands of Muslim Rohingya refugees, an Indian government official said Wednesday that authorities are only working to identify those who fled persecution in neighboring Myanmar, not expel them. An estimated 40,000 Rohingya Muslims have taken refuge in various parts of India, though fewer than 15,000 are registered with the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. (AP)

NEW DELHّ: An Indian Home Ministry official says state authorities are trying to determine the number of Muslim Rohingya refugees living in the country after fleeing persecution in neighboring Myanmar, but there is no immediate plan to deport them.
Last week, Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju told Parliament that the government had directed state authorities to identify and deport illegal immigrants, including Rohingya.
On Wednesday, the Home Ministry official said state governments were trying to identify Rohingya. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters.
More than 14,000 Rohingya living in India are registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. According to government estimates, around 40,000 Rohingya Muslims have taken refuge in various parts of the country.