Rohingyas repatriated after confirming their willingness to go back: Ministry of External Affairs

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said that the seven Rohingyas were repatriated to Myanmar after confirming their willingness to go back and with the full concurrence of the Government of Myanmar.

"Seven individuals from Rakhine State in Myanmar had been detained in 2012 for violation of the Foreigners Act. The Chief Judicial Magistrate of Cachar at Silchar, Assam, had awarded a three-month sentence for this violation and ordered their detention pending repatriation. In accordance with established procedures and previous precedent, and with the assistance of the Ministry of External Affairs, the Embassy of the Union of Myanmar was able to establish the identity of these individuals as residents of that country. The Government of Myanmar issued Certificates of Identity to facilitate the travel of these individuals to their hometowns in Rakhine State. In parallel, the individuals also requested in 2016 that the Embassy of the Union of Myanmar should issue them relevant travel documents to facilitate their return to their own country," MEA Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said while responding to the issue of repatriation of seven Rohingyas to Myanmar on Thursday.

"Upon reconfirming their willingness to be repatriated (on October 3, 2018), and with the full concurrence of the Government of Myanmar, in accordance with established procedures and laws, the Government of Assam has arranged for the repatriation of these seven individuals to Myanmar, " he added.

-ANI