We came in search of jobs, say Rohingyas held in Tripura

Eight Rohingyas, including two women and four children, who were arrested in Khayerpur area on Wednesday said they reached Tripura in search of jobs.

The police on Thursday said they were on their way to Agartala on an inter-state bus but deboarded it mistakenly at Khayerpur and were spotted there moving aimlessly.

They were then taken to the police station on suspicious grounds.

During interrogation, they disclosed that they were from Myanmar and they had sneaked into India from Bangladesh and via West Bengal had gone to Kashmir, a few years ago.

However, they were now in Tripura in search of jobs.

Despite showing United Nation refugee cards, the police said that they would be produced before a court today.

Rohingyas, described by the United Nations as the world's most persecuted people, have been facing a threat to their lives in Myanmar where they are not considered citizens.

In August, the country's security forces launched a military campaign in Rakhine state, where majority of Rohingya Muslims reside, following terrorist attacks on their posts.

In the following months, over 6 lakh Rohingyas have fled the country and taken refuge in neighbouring Bangladesh.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government had recently said the Rohingya Muslims were illegal immigrants and pitched for their deportation.

The Supreme Court, however, had asked the Centre not to treat them as a national security issue, but consider it as a humanitarian and human rights issue.

-ANI