Refugee Crisis in India
Refugees have lived in India for ages. The most important fact that should be noted is that, except for the transboundary movement of people during the country’s partition in 1947, there has never been a single instance of a refugee coming from Indian soil. On the other side, it has consistently been a receiving nation, expanding its multi-cultural and multi-ethnic fabric in the process. India has welcomed refugees from all religions and sects as part of its secular principles. It is important to note that since gaining its independence, India has taken in refugees from far-off nations as well as some of its neighbors, including Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Somalia, Sudan, and Uganda. In several instances, refugees from one or more neighboring nations have fled into India on the South Asian subcontinent. Given the sensitivity of local politics on the subcontinent, it is difficult to completely separate the subject of refugees entering India from the general security concerns that are pertinent there. Even though India has hosted a sizable and diverse population of refugees in the past, India has dealt with “refugee” concerns on a bilateral basis. Without a doubt, refugees are “foreigners.” The current status in India is that they are dealt with under the existing Indian laws, both general and specific, which are otherwise applicable to all foreigners, even though there may be a case to distinguish them from the rest of the “foreigners”. Cases for refugee “status” are evaluated individually for the same reason. The issue of refugee protection in India requires immediate clinical attention, and the necessary institutional and legal mechanisms must be put in place. Since the two groups frequently overlap, illegal immigrants and refugees are the subject of much debate in India. Because both types of persons are treated equally under Indian law and are protected by the Foreigners Act of 1946, our attitudes regarding illegal immigrants and refugees are unclear. The statute provides a straightforward definition of a foreigner: “a person who is not a citizen of India.“
Although there are important distinctions between refugees and illegal immigrants, India lacks the legal tools necessary to handle each group independently. Additionally, India is not a signatory to the fundamental legal texts governing refugee protection, the 1951 Refugee Convention, and its 1967 Protocol.
Refugee Crisis in India
A refugee is a person who is compelled to leave their country due to violence, conflict, or persecution. A refugee typically fears being persecuted because of their ethnicity, religion, nationality, political views, or participation in a particular social group. It is more likely that they are unable to or are afraid to return to their homes. The 1947 partition of India marked the beginning of the refugee influx. The country had taken in almost 450,00 refugees by the beginning of 2010 from both inside and outside the region.