No large-scale influx of Rohingyas into India: BSF DG

Director General of the Border Security Force (BSF) KK Sharma on Friday asserted that there has not been any large-scale influx of Rohingyas into India.

Sharma, while speaking at the ongoing 47th DG level talks between the BSF and the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) in Delhi, said that there were attempts by small groups to enter into the Indian territory but security forces stopped them.

"There has not been any large-scale influx of Rohingyas in India. Rohingyas who are already in the country, are also under pressure at some places. So they are going to West Bengal, that is slightly friendly with them and has created camps for Rohingyas coming from within the country, not from Bangladesh," he said.

The DG BSF stated that smuggling of fake Indian currency has also come down considerably after demonetisation. "The quality of the (fake) currency is not good so they can easily be detected. We find that Bangladesh territory is mostly being used as a transit. This year the seizure was Rs 11 lakh only," he added.

On July 31, Home Minister Rajnath Singh informed the Lok Sabha that security forces were deployed to stop further infiltration of Rohingyas, a Muslim minority ethnic group in Myanmar, who are considered to be illegal immigrants.

A large number of Rohingya refugees have taken shelter in India and Bangladesh and they are staying in refugee camps, after fleeing a brutal campaign launched by the Myanmar Army in August last year.