Centre initiative welcome but grant refugee status: PFFA

The Patriotic People's Front Assam (PPFA) today welcomed the Centre's initiative to exempt minority communities of Bangladesh and Pakistan from relevant provisions of rules and order made under the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920 and the Foreigners Act, 1946 but demanded refugee status for them.
"The Centre's initiative to exempt minorities of the two neighbouring countries, who have entered India on or before 31st December last year due to religious persecution there, was welcome but they must be given refugee status", a statement issued by PPFA, an organisation of prominent citizens of the state, said.
Assam, however, alone should not be burdened with all the asylum seekers... And the Centre must clarify its stand on the issue at the earliest, the statement said.

The PPFA also demanded a concrete refugee policy with a legal framework to be adopted by the Centre and urged the people of Assam not to get "carried over" by the ongoing debate of 'granting citizenship to these minority communities from Bangladesh and Pakistan'.
Granting mere refugee status does not mean granting citizenship to those asylum seekers, the statement added.
Even though a refugee in a country is legally allowed to enjoy some basic rights for life, liberty, equality, healthcare, primary education, work etc, they may not be entitled to have the status permanently, it said.
Once the refugee voluntarily prefers to return back to their country of origin (or any other country of their choice), the asylum seeker would cease to receive those rights, the statement added.