The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, raised serious concerns on Monday about India’s deportation of Rohingya Muslims by land and sea, warning that such actions reflect a troubling global trend of normalizing policies that violate migrant and refugee rights. Speaking at the 60th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Türk highlighted the erosion of human rights protections in several countries, including India.

“Human rights are the foundation of thriving societies, yet disturbing trends are undermining these rights worldwide,” Türk said, pointing to policies that disregard the dignity and protections owed to migrants and refugees. He specifically noted that India has forcibly deported groups of Rohingya Muslims, a persecuted minority from Myanmar, as part of a broader pattern seen in countries like Pakistan and Iran, which have expelled millions of Afghans.

Türk also criticized measures in Germany, Greece, Hungary, and other European nations that restrict the right to seek asylum, as well as U.S. agreements with countries like El Salvador, South Sudan, Eswatini, and Rwanda to deport third-country nationals to places other than their homelands, raising questions about adherence to international law.

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The UN estimates that around 40,000 Rohingya live in India, with at least 20,000 registered with the UN refugee agency, according to Human Rights Watch. The Rohingya, who face severe persecution in Myanmar, have sought refuge in India and other nations, only to encounter challenges like detention and deportation.

Türk urged global leaders to strengthen human rights protections, emphasizing that every individual, from future farmers to doctors, deserves to have their rights recognized as a fundamental birthright. The UN’s call to action underscores the need for compassionate and lawful approaches to migration, as India’s deportations draw international scrutiny.

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