‘Either You Accept Us Or Don’t Let Us In’
“I pursued my MBA from a reputed private institute in Delhi five years ago but I could not secure a job either in private or in the government sector. I can’t sit for government jobs because of nationality and private organizations don’t hire me as I don’t have a Permanent Account Number (PAN) card or bank account. They won’t be able to deduct income tax from my salary if they hire. So, they don’t hire me,” said Omar, an Afghani refugee who owns a shop in New Delhi.
Omar is not alone in this. There are thousands of degree holder refugees in India who are either unemployed or self-employed. The Indian government welcomes refugees but ignore them completely once they enter the nation's boundaries.
A senior member of Human Rights Law Network told BW Businessworld, “Our government doesn’t recognizes refugees since we are non-signatories to both United Nations (UN) conventions regarding Refugees of 1951 and UN protocol on refugees of 1967. Thus, India isn’t legally bounded to help refugees.”
The refugees in India come from almost all corners of the world but mainly from Aghanistan, Somalia and Myanmar. Many have been living in India since two decades but the government hasn’t recognized them yet. “There are two types of refugees in India; one recognized by the government and the other recognized by United Nations High Commission for Refugees; however the count of former is abysmally low. The refugees don’t get access to any identity cards, be it driving license, below poverty line card or any other. This is precisely why they remain devoid of every amenity and necessity of life in our country.”
Refugees have to depend upon the mercy of government officials. For instance, if a government official of a primary school refuses to accept their refugee card as an identity, their children don’t get access to even elementary education.
“Either you accept us or don’t let us in. More than 90 per cent refugees are facing financial crisis in India. Those who come from well-off families open a shop while others work in shops, pick rags or become daily wage labourers,” told Omar in a casual conversation with BW Businessworld.
Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor suggested the need for India to have a legal framework to deal with refugees and asylum seekers, but his demand went unnoticed. Even Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member, Varun Gandhi advocated an ‘Asylum Bill’ for the refugees but the bill was never chaired.
At present, the government relies upon the Foreigner's Act, 1946 and registration of Foreigner's Act, 1939 to govern entry, stay and exit of refugees.
“With the advent of this government and the rise of right wing activism, refugees in India feel more unsafe. A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed in Jammu and Kashmir High Court for the evacuation of Rohingya Muslim from the state. There are almost 1700 Rohingya Muslims living in the state. The PIL has been filed by a legal expert of BJP. This seems like an indirect effort by the government to expel the refugees,” added the official.
The refugees face lot of problems while renewing their visa. “ I have been here (in India) since five years, I live with my family, every year I have to run many times to get our visas renewed. They issue us a visa valid for only one year,” said Akhmat, a Somali refugee who works in a restaurant in New Delhi.
There aren’t only financial issues bothering refugees but also societal issues. “I was beaten by a group of locals for parking my bike before a shop. Even the police didn’t help me; in fact the policeman snatched my refugee card and asked for money. After five days, I paid him Rs 2000, only then he returned my card,” said Omar with moist eyes.
African refugees are frequently subjected to racism by locals. A report by PN Lamba, ex-vice chancellor, Indira Gandhi Open University and activists of refugee rights in India, titled ‘Roadblocks of Refugees in India’ highlights the fact that refugees from different countries receive different treatment by Indians.
At a time when many European nations opened boundaries for refugees from the Middle East, India has kept silence on the issue. It’s high time for the government to prepare a legal framework for the refugees in India as refugee crisis in India is no way less critical than other countries of the world.
However, as citizens we also have a responsibility towards them. We must try making them feel at home and not seclude them. The onus is not just on the government but on us too.
