Delhi HC grants time to Centre to place on record policy decision related to deportation of Myanmar national
Sep 05, 2022
New Delhi [India], September 5, : The Delhi High court on Monday granted time to the Centre to place records on the policy decision related to the deportation of Myanmar Nationals.
A Myanmar national who has been a refugee in India has sought direction to issue exit permission as she has obtained a visa from Canada. Her husband is a refugee in Canada.
Justice Yashwant Varma granted time to the standing counsel of the Central government to file a counter affidavit and copy of the policy decision taken in relation to the deportation of two Myanmar nationals.
The matter has been listed on September 21 for further hearing.
The Myanmar national, Zannat Begham filed a petition through advocate Shahid Ali. The petitioner has sought direction from the court to the Central Government and Ministry of External Affairs to issue exit permission to her and her minor son.
Shahid Ali, the counsel for the petitioner, today argued that his client is a refugee and has been registered with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). She has been granted a visa to Canada but exit permission has not been granted to leave India.
"Even UNHCR has written to the Indian authorities to issue exit permission to the refugee in the mandate of UNHCR, still she has not been granted exit permission. It is a violation of UN Convention," the counsel argued.
On the other hand, advocate Nidhi Raman, the standing counsel of the central government submitted that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has taken a policy decision to deport Myanmar nationals.
Central Government standing counsel sought time to file the counter affidavit and the copy of the policy decision taken by the MHA.
On the last date of the hearing, the court had asked the authorities why exit permission has not been granted to the petitioner.
The petitioner came to India in July 2011. She got registered with the National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC) on August 2, 2011. In 2018, she was issued a stay Visa from Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) Delhi.
The petitioner has stated that on October 8, 2020, UNHCR issued the identity card in favour of the petitioner which shall expire on October 7, 2022. She was granted a Visa to Canada in May 2022 and was to leave India on June 24, 2022.
