India on Friday started deporting the primary group of Myanmar refugees who sought shelter there after a navy coup in 2021 and plans to ship again extra within the coming days, weeks after saying it could finish a visa-free border coverage with Myanmar.

Thousands of civilians and tons of of troops from Myanmar have fled to Indian states, the place communities between the 2 international locations share ethnic and familial ties, which has anxious New Delhi due to the danger of communal tensions spreading to India.

“First batch of Myanmar nationals who entered India illegally deported today,” N. Biren Singh, the chief minister of northeastern Manipur state, which borders Myanmar, stated in a submit on the X social media platform.

Manipur deliberate to ship again at the very least 77 refugees ranging from Friday, in response to a state authorities doc seen by Reuters. The state has been roiled by sporadic violence that has killed almost 200 individuals up to now since ethnic clashes broke out in May final 12 months.

The first group of refugees arrived within the Indian border city of Moreh and would seemingly be handed over on Saturday, an Indian safety official stated on situation of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

Singh shared a video clip on X exhibiting ladies being introduced out of safety vans and brought into an airport.

New Delhi has not signed the 1951 U.N. Refugee Convention, which spells out refugees’ rights and states’ tasks to guard them, nor does it have its personal legal guidelines defending refugees.

Singh wrote in his submit that the nation gave “shelter & aid to those fleeing the crisis in Myanmar on humanitarian grounds with a systematic approach.”

India final month stated it could finish a decades-old visa-free motion coverage with Myanmar for his or her border residents for causes together with nationwide safety, days after the inside minister introduced fencing of the 1,643-kilometer border with Myanmar.