Delhi CM Atishi accuses Central govt of settling illegal Rohingya migrants in Delhi; seeks no further rehabilitation

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Atishi on Sunday wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, accusing the BJP-led central government of settling a "large number" of "illegal migrant Rohingya" refugees in various parts of Delhi without informing the Delhi government.
Referring to two older posts on X by Union Minister Hardeep Puri, CM Atishi alleged that this situation has persisted for several years.
She requested the Union government to provide the Delhi government with a complete list of "Rohingyas" along with their addresses and demanded that no further rehabilitation of "Rohingyas" in Delhi take place without consulting the Delhi government and its residents.
In her letter dated December 15, she wrote, "The BJP-led central government has settled a large number of illegal migrant Rohingya refugees in different parts of Delhi, keeping both the people and the government of Delhi in the dark. This has apparently been ongoing for the past several years. On 17 August 2022, Union Urban Development Minister Shri Hardeep Puri posted two tweets stating: 'India has always welcomed those who have sought refuge in the country. In a landmark decision, all #Rohingya #Refugees will be shifted to EWS flats in the Bakkarwala area of Delhi. They will be provided basic amenities, UNHCR IDs & round-the-clock @DelhiPolice protection. @PMOIndia...'"
The Chief Minister further alleged that settling the refugees was a deliberate policy of the BJP-led Central government, extending beyond Delhi to other parts of the country.
"This clearly indicates a conscious decision and policy of the BJP government to settle these refugees in Delhi. Reports suggest that similar settlements have also been made in other parts of India," the letter stated.
Expressing her concerns, the Delhi CM said the move had caused significant distress among Delhi's residents, who fear that these migrants will create law-and-order issues, take away jobs, and strain the city's limited resources.
She wrote, "Through this letter, I wish to convey the anguish of Delhi's people over this step taken by the BJP government. These migrants could not only pose law-and-order challenges but also deprive Delhiites of jobs and further stretch the city's already limited resources. From Shri Hardeep Puri's tweet, it appears they were settled in EWS flats in Bakkarwala, which were meant for Delhi's underprivileged. This suggests that the rights and facilities meant for Delhi's citizens are being diverted to migrants--a situation the people of Delhi will not tolerate."
Criticising the BJP-led Central government, CM Atishi accused it of failing to protect India's borders and questioned its inability to curb "illegal migration."
"How did these immigrants cross the Indo-Bangladesh border? A recent report by a prominent TV channel revealed that thousands cross this border daily without hindrance. This demonstrates the BJP government's complete failure to safeguard our borders. If this continues, can India handle such an influx of refugees? The answer is NO. So why is the BJP government failing to act against this illegal migration?" she asked in the letter.
The Chief Minister also demanded details on the total number of Rohingyas transported and relocated to Delhi by the BJP government, accusing it of excluding the Delhi government from discussions on their rehabilitation.
"Delhi is far from any international border and thousands of kilometres away from Bangladesh. How, then, did these immigrants reach Delhi after crossing multiple states without detection? It raises many questions: Were these illegal immigrants systematically transported to different parts of India by the BJP government without informing the Indian public? How many Rohingyas were transported and relocated to Delhi? Where in Delhi were they settled? Why were the Delhi government and its residents kept in the dark?" she questioned.
She reiterated her demand for the Union government to provide a complete list of "Rohingyas" settled in Delhi, including their addresses, and insisted that no further settlement of illegal refugees take place in the city without consulting the Delhi government and its people.
"The most shocking part is that the BJP-led central government settled these Rohingyas across Delhi, and now the BJP-appointed Lieutenant Governor is directing Delhi Police to conduct a door-to-door survey to identify them. I request the Union government to share a complete list of Rohingyas settled by the BJP government, along with their addresses, with the Delhi government. A copy of this list should also be provided to the LG and Delhi Police. On behalf of the people of Delhi, I demand that no illegal refugees be settled in the city in the future without consulting the Delhi government and its residents," the letter concluded.