Refugees and Internally Displaced people in India

Who are refugees?

Refugees are people fleeing conflict or persecution. They are defined and protected in international law, and must not be expelled or returned to situations where their life and freedom are at risk.

Government scheme for refuges

The Centre announced that it is planning a 2,000-crore package for more than 36,000 refugee families from Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK), who crossed over to India after the 1947, 1965 and 1971 wars, and are now living in Jammu and Kashmir.

• The package was first announced as part of the 80,000-crore package for the state by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November 2015.
• This mega push comes on the heels of the PM speaking on the plight of the minorities in PoK, Gilgit-Baltistan and Balochistan in Pakistan on August 12.

who are internally displaced people?

Internally displaced people (IDPs) have not crossed a border to find safety. Unlike refugees, they are on the run at home.

IDPs stay within their own country and remain under the protection of its government, even if that government is the reason for their displacement. As a result, these people are among the most vulnerable in the world.

Government Stand on IDP’S

• The NDA government’s decision to help PoK political refugees is commendable, what is shocking is that similar sentiments are never shown on internally displaced people due to political strife within India.
• In Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, people are displaced due to the ongoing ‘war’ between the Maoists and the security forces.
• In one instance, in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district narrated about armed Salwa Judum activists had landed in her village, accused the dirt-poor tribals of being Maoist supporters, ransacked their belongings and burnt down their homes.
• Salwa Judum was initiated in the Bastar region in 2005 as a State response to Maoism but was disbanded after a Supreme Court order in 2011.
• Such forced physical dislocation leads to several problems for IDPs:

1. Harassment by police and forest officials of states where they have migrated;
2. Exploitation by local labour contractors who force them to accept lower wages;
3. No access to schools for their children and health services for the family.
4. Forced migration also leads to disruption of cultural and community ties.
5. The women face threats of violence and trafficking. Inadequate access to water, food, sanitation and healthcare mean their children are at greater risk of malnutrition and illness.

• India does not have a legal framework to deal with IDPs.
• India has no data on how many IDPs are in the country.
• The Norwegian Refugee Council puts the figure for 2015 at more than 560,000, while the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre’s said at least 853,900 people were displaced by violence in India.
• India has neither signed the 1951 UN refugee convention nor its 1967 protocol and does not permit the UN high commissioner for refugees — which works with IDPs — access to camps.
• Without a law, IDPs end up being nowhere people with no state wanting to accommodate them “because they eat into development funds meant for local residents”.
• Unfortunately, not all IDP groups are as lucky or politically crucial as PoK refugees to catch the government’s attention and get financial help to rebuild their lives.