Rohingya families displaced in Jammu following eviction notices

Hundreds of Rohingya families in the Karyani Talab area of Narwal, Jammu, have been displaced following an eviction drive. Authorities issued notices to landowners who had rented plots to the refugees, citing that the land was designated for agricultural use and could not be sublet for residential purposes. The notices also questioned the legality of allowing foreigners to settle on the plots.

The eviction process involved the dismantling of approximately 80 to 90 makeshift huts and 30 to 40 shops. The Rohingya Human Rights Initiative estimated that around 350 shelters were demolished, affecting nearly 1,800 people. Many of the displaced individuals, who hold United Nations refugee cards, have lived in these settlements for over a decade.

Displaced residents, including women, children, and the elderly, reported being left on the roads with their belongings and no clear alternative for housing. Many of the families rely on daily-wage labor for survival and had already been living with limited access to electricity and regular water supplies prior to the evictions.