Archive · 22 Sep 2026
Rohingya Families Left Homeless as Jammu Shanties Face Demolition
Some Rohingya families in Jammu have lost their small homes after shanties were removed.
Residents said about 500 shelters and some shops were demolished in the Narwal area.
They said around 1,800 people now have no proper place to live.
Some are staying with friends, while others are sleeping outside with their children.
Many more Rohingya fear they could also be forced to leave.
Officials had been collecting information about Rohingya settlements.
A central committee recently visited Jammu to study changes in the population.
The Bharatiya Janata Party and right-wing groups say the settlements could change Jammu’s population balance, while Rohingya residents say they came seeking safety.
Authorities reportedly removed about 500 shanties and shops in Jammu’s Narwal area, leaving around 1,800 Rohingya homeless, according to residents.
Residents said some displaced families are sheltering with acquaintances, while others are living outdoors with children.
Rohingya residents fear similar demolitions could affect all 7,000 people from the community living in Jammu.
The Jammu and Kashmir government told a central committee that 7,656 Rohingya were living in Jammu, including some detained at a holding centre.
The demolitions followed weeks after a central committee visited Jammu to examine demographic changes and illegal immigration in border states.
- Who
- Rohingya residents in Jammu, local authorities, and a central committee appointed by the central government are involved.
- What
- Shanties and shops occupied by Rohingya residents were reportedly demolished, leaving hundreds of families without shelter.
- When
- The reported demolitions occurred weeks after the central committee visited Jammu; the committee was formed in May, according to the article.
- Where
- Narwal, locally known as Burma Market, and surrounding areas of Jammu.
- Why
- Authorities were examining demographic changes and illegal immigration; the Bharatiya Janata Party and right-wing groups claim Rohingya settlement could alter Jammu’s Hindu-majority demography, while residents say they came to escape persecution in Myanmar.
Rohingya Residents and Refugee Advocates
Bharatiya Janata Party and Right-Wing Groups
Reason for living in Jammu
Rohingya Residents and Refugee Advocates
Rohingya residents say they moved to Jammu after persecution in Myanmar and believed the area would be safer than returning home.
Bharatiya Janata Party and Right-Wing Groups
The Bharatiya Janata Party and right-wing groups claim the settlement of Rohingya was a ploy to change Jammu’s Hindu-majority demography.
Impact of the demolitions
Rohingya Residents and Refugee Advocates
Residents say the removals have left about 1,800 people homeless and could eventually affect all 7,000 Rohingya living in Jammu.
Bharatiya Janata Party and Right-Wing Groups
The article reports the demographic and illegal-immigration concerns being examined by authorities, but does not provide a detailed official justification for the demolitions.
Responsibility for the settlement
Rohingya Residents and Refugee Advocates
Rohingya residents say they were living on land rented from local landlords and are now being pushed out after landlords received eviction notices.
Bharatiya Janata Party and Right-Wing Groups
In 2024, Omar Abdullah said the central government had settled the Rohingya in Jammu and Kashmir and that the elected state government had no role.
- Reportedly displaced
- About 1,800 Rohingya people, according to residents
- Shanties removed
- About 500 shanties, along with several small shops
- Rohingya population in Jammu
- 7,656, according to figures given by the Jammu and Kashmir government
- People detained in 2021
- Hundreds were detained and held at a centre in Hiranagar sub-jail, Kathua district
- Estimated Rohingya population in India
- Human Rights Watch cited an estimate of 40,000 last year
- Community’s arrival in Jammu
- Rohingya began arriving in Jammu about two decades ago after persecution in Myanmar
- Central committee
- A four-member panel headed by retired Justice Prabhakar Navlekar examined demographic changes in border states