Manipur HC allows seven Myanmar nationals to approach UNHCR
The matter of the seven Myanmarese citizens, who had entered India illegally seeking permission to travel to Delhi for protection from UNHCR, was being looked at by the division branch comprising of Chief Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice Lanusungkum Jamir.
IMPHAL:
The Manipur High Court on Monday in a significant judgement ordered the safe passage of seven Myanmar nationals to New Delhi to enable them to avail suitable protection from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
The matter of the seven Myanmarese citizens, who had entered India illegally seeking permission to travel to Delhi for protection from UNHCR, was being looked at by the division branch comprising of Chief Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice Lanusungkum Jamir.
In an important observation announced by the bench, the court said that the seven Myanmarsese individuals in question are not 'migrants', as normally understood but are 'asylum seekers' and that they did not enter the country with a deliberate intention of breaking and violating our domestic laws.
While taking note of the matter, the court stated that India has no clear refugee protection policy or framework, it does grant asylum to a large number of refugees from nearby countries and that India usually respects the UNHCR recognition of the status of such asylum seekers mainly from Afghanistan and Myanmar.
Earlier, the said Myanmarsese refugees had fled from Mynamar fearing persecution after the military coup and the subsequent violence that raged havoc across the country.
(Edited by Shankar Kumar Turha)
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