MHA wanted to shift Rohingya to Bakkarwala EWS flats in capital 

NEW DELHI: Even as the Union Home Ministry on Thursday denied giving any direction to provide EWS (economically weaker section) flats to Rohingya illegal migrants, moves to resettle at least 250 of them at Bakkarwala in West Delhi were in the works since at least March 2021.

A series of correspondence between the Home Police-II department of the Government of National Capital Territory (GNCT) of Delhi and the NDMC Chairman indicate that attempts were made to move a section of Rohingya living at Shahzada Bagh and Lampur to “suitable accommodation for permanent restriction centre for foreign inmates at Bakkarwala village” since June 2021.

A copy of a letter is in the possession of TNIE. The letter reveals that the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), which is under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), itself had requested the GNCT Home Department and the NDMC to “allot the Baraat Ghar along with all EWS flats, Bakkarwala Village, Delhi, to them to accommodate the foreign inmates, along with basic minimum housing facilities”. This, sources said, referred to Rohingya migrants.

The June 2021 letter was followed by at least two more meetings between the MHA, Delhi government officials and senior police officers in January and July 2022. In both meetings, the police officers pushed keeping the 250 Rohingya at one place for effective surveillance.

The Delhi Home Department letter of June 23, 2021, reveals that plans were afoot to “restrict the movement of foreign inmates” at Shahzada Bagh and Lampur. On February 21 last year, a “joint inspection with representatives of (the) social welfare department” was made to “search for a suitable accommodation for (a) permanent restriction centre for foreign inmates at Bakkarwala village, Delhi.” The site had almost 240 flats built under EWS category and owned by the NDMC.