USCIRF Chair Vicky Hartzler urges India to immediately halt deportations and arbitrary detentions; reiterates demand of putting India into Country of Particular Concern category
NEW DELHI/WASHINGTON, DC – The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has strongly condemned the Indian government’s recent decision to expel Rohingya refugees to Myanmar and deport Bengali-speaking Muslims to Bangladesh. It said these actions not only violate international law but also reflect a deepening crisis of religious freedom in the world’s largest democracy.
The commission also reiterated demand of putting India into Country of Particular Concern (CPC) category.
USCIRF Chair Vicky Hartzler warned that the Rohingya face “imminent risk of severe persecution” if forced back to Myanmar, where the community has endured decades of discrimination and violence. “The Indian government’s expulsion of Rohingya refugees is a blatant disregard for international law and the principle of non-refoulement,” she said, urging India to immediately halt deportations and arbitrary detentions.
India has hosted Rohingya refugees since 2017, when hundreds of thousands fled military crackdowns in Myanmar’s Rakhine state. Yet, despite the humanitarian crisis, the Indian government has increasingly described the Rohingya as a “security threat.” In May, at least 40 refugees were deported by boat, drawing international concern.
The commission also raised alarm over the treatment of Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam. Many are being branded as “illegal immigrants” under the controversial National Register of Citizens (NRC), a policy that critics say has left millions at risk of statelessness. Human rights groups argue the NRC process disproportionately targets Muslims, leaving them vulnerable to detention and deportation without proper legal recourse.
Commissioner Stephen Schneck said the policy “directly targets Muslims based on their religious identity” and violates India’s obligations under multiple international treaties. He urged Washington to use diplomatic channels to press New Delhi into protecting minorities rather than persecuting them.
Currently, around 22,000 Rohingya refugees live in India, most of them in makeshift camps in Jammu, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Mewat. Nearly all hold United Nations refugee cards, but that has not prevented police crackdowns, detentions, and now expulsions. Rights activists warn that without stronger international pressure India’s hardening stance could further marginalise already vulnerable communities.
This is not the first time USCIRF has raised concerns over India. In its 2025 annual report, the commission once again recommended that the US State Department designate India as a Country of Particular Concern, a label reserved for nations committing systematic and egregious violations of religious freedom.
The Indian government has consistently rejected USCIRF’s findings, calling them “biased and motivated.” Yet, for observers, the ongoing expulsions point to an increasingly exclusionary citizenship regime that disproportionately affects Muslims and undermines India’s long-standing image as a pluralistic democracy.
