On social media, news has gone viral. While sharing the news, users wrote, “As per reports, over 5 crore illegal Bangladeshis and Rohingyas are living in India. As per you, how should illegal Bangladeshis and Rohingyas be treated?”
Moreover, several users shared this video and made similar claims. The link can be seen here
Fact Check
During the investigation, DFRAC found the claim to be false. We did not find any recent news supporting this.
We found a report from Aaj Tak, published on December 5, 2019, stating: “There are about 20 million (2 crore) illegal Bangladeshi migrants in India. The then Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju had given this figure in a written reply to a question by Rajya Sabha MP Jharna Das Bhaiya. The report further said that around 40,000 Rohingyas in India have been living in camps across the country, including the capital New Delhi, for years after fleeing violence and persecution in Myanmar.”
Furthermore, we found a report from Voice of America, published on July 17, 2024, stating: “According to a 2019 UNHCR estimate, over 40,000 Rohingya refugees are in India, including around 22,000 who are registered with the U.N. agency. The refugees mostly work in menial jobs and live in decrepit shack colonies. India has not signed the 1951 U.N. Refugee Convention and views Muslim Rohingya refugees as ‘illegal immigrants,’ although the Rohingya have mostly lived peacefully in the country for decades.”
Conclusion
It is evident from DFRAC’s fact check that the claim of “5 crore illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya migrants in India” is false. No current official data quotes any such numbers.
