Rohingya pack up, dismantle huts in Jammu after administration's notices
Rohingya families have started dismantling their huts and packing their belongings in Jammu after authorities served notices to plot owners asking them to remove slums and shops from their land, triggering a fresh crackdown on settlements in the Union Territory.
The action has been reported from the Narwal area, where residents began removing their temporary structures on Tuesday and continued the exercise on Wednesday. Visuals from the area showed people pulling down huts, gathering belongings and preparing to leave.
It is not yet clear where the families will go after vacating the plots. Sources said a close watch is being kept on the movement of the Rohingya.LANDOWNERS SERVED NOTICES
Authorities have served notices to plot owners whose land is being used by Rohingy families for residential and commercial structures.
The owners have been asked to remove the slums and shops from their plots. Following the notices, the families living in the structures have begun dismantling them.
The latest action comes amid increased official scrutiny of Rohingy settlements in Jammu and Kashmir.
A government-appointed High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes recently visited Jammu and inspected a Rohingy settlement in the Narwal area as part of its field visit to examine demographic changes and related issues. HOW MANY ROHINGYA ARE IN J&K?Government data presented to the committee in August showed that 7,656 Rohingya had been identified across Jammu and Kashmir.
Of these, 6,737 were identified across the 10 districts of the Jammu region, while 919 were identified across the 10 districts of the Kashmir Valley.
The same data showed that 46 Bangladeshi nationals had been identified in the Jammu region and 458 in the Kashmir Valley, taking the total number of identified Bangladeshi nationals in the Union Territory to 504.
Officials also presented details of cases registered in connection with foreign nationals. In Jammu, 101 cases involving 179 men and 21 women were recorded, while 16 cases involving 41 women and four men were recorded in the Kashmir Valley. SECURITY CONCERNS UNDER SCRUTINY
The presence of Rohingya settlements in Jammu and Kashmir has been the subject of political and security debate for years, particularly in areas close to the border.
The government data presented to the demographic committee came amid increased official focus on the identification of foreign nationals and the security implications of their presence in strategically sensitive areas.
The issue has also drawn demands from various social and political groups for the deportation of those they describe as illegally residing in Jammu and Kashmir.
In March 2021, police found more than 270 Rohingya, including women and children, during a verification drive in Jammu city and lodged them at a holding centre inside the Kathua Sub-Jail, according to All India Radio. SP VAID WELCOMES ACTION
Former Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police SP Vaid has welcomed the latest action against the settlements.
“It’s a good step that the administration has taken. The house & plot owners have been asked to evict Rohingya. This should have been done much earlier,” Vaid said.
He also alleged that the settlement of Rohingya in Jammu had taken place as part of a “planned conspiracy to change the demography of Jammu”.
The allegation reflects a view expressed by Vaid and should not be treated as an established finding.
Vaid further said Rohingya should be kept in containment centres until they are deported.advertisementROHINGYA SAY THEY CANNOT RETURN TO MYANMARSome of the Rohingya families who were evicted from the slums on Tuesday and Wednesday have said they cannot return to Myanmar.
They claimed they continue to face persecution there.
The immediate destination of the families leaving the Narwal settlement remains unclear.
The administration’s latest action comes as authorities continue to examine Rohingya settlements across Jammu and Kashmir, following the recent visit by the High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes and the release of fresh government figures on the population and cases involving foreign nationals.- EndsPublished By: Sonali VermaPublished On: Sep 16, 2026 18:47 IST
