We have nowhere to go: Rohingya families leave Jammu slum settlements

The Jammu district administration's action against Rohingya settlements is now visible on the ground, with families dismantling their makeshift homes, packing their belongings and leaving slum bastis in parts of Jammu.

India Today visited one such settlement in the Narwal area, where several huts had already been pulled down. Families were seen carrying away their belongings, while wooden poles, scrap and other material used to build the makeshift homes lay scattered across the site.

The exercise has been underway for the last two to three days. The administration has issued notices to owners of plots where Rohingya families are living, directing them to get the premises vacated. The plot owners have subsequently asked the families to leave.ROHINGYAS PACK BAGS, PULL DOWN HUTS

At Narwal, families are dismantling the structures they built and lived in for years. One resident said he had been living in Jammu since 2012 and worked as a daily-wage labourer. He said the plot owner had asked them to vacate after being directed to clear the land.

"We have been told to vacate the land. The plot owner has also said that he cannot keep us here anymore," he said.

The resident said his family had arrived with around 50 to 60 people, but only a few families now remained. He said they did not have Jammu identity documents and that some children were studying through private tuition.

Another resident, Lal Mohammad, said he had travelled from Myanmar to Bangladesh before reaching Jammu and had been living there for several years.

As families pack their bags and pull down their huts, their immediate destination remains unclear.PLOT OWNERS TOLD TO EVICT ROHINGYAS

The action extends beyond the Narwal settlement, with notices issued to owners of several plots where Rohingya families have built makeshift homes.

The owners have been directed to get the settlements removed and ensure that the occupants vacate the land. They have also been warned of action if they fail to comply. Local residents and plot owners have been directed not to rent out premises to Rohingyas or allow fresh makeshift settlements to come up on their land.

At Narwal, the effect is clearly visible. A settlement once filled with huts is steadily being cleared, with families leaving one after another. The exercise currently covers around 40 kanals of land.THOUSANDS SETTLED ACROSS JAMMU

Rohingya Muslims have settled in the Jammu region over nearly two decades, with several makeshift colonies coming up across Jammu district.

The issue has remained contentious, with socio-political organisations repeatedly raising security concerns and demanding their deportation. Figures cited by sources put the Rohingya population in Jammu and Kashmir at more than 14,000, including over 7,000 in Narwal alone. These numbers could not be independently verified.

The administration has taken action against Rohingya settlements in the past as well. The latest exercise, however, has resulted in the dismantling of several makeshift colonies through the plot owners.SECURITY CONCERNS OVER SETTLEMENTS

Security experts and socio-political organisations have for years raised concerns over the presence and growing population of Rohingyas in Jammu, including allegations that their settlement could affect the region's demography.

Questions have also been raised over documents obtained by some Rohingya residents. Sources have claimed that some possess Aadhaar cards, domicile certificates and other government documents. There have also been criminal cases involving individual Rohingyas.

Such cases concern specific individuals and do not establish criminal involvement by the wider community.

Former Jammu and Kashmir DGP Dr SP Vaid has called for Rohingyas to be kept in holding centres until arrangements are made for their deportation.

For now, the change is visible inside the settlements. A family is packing its bags. Another is pulling down the wooden frame of its hut. Elsewhere, only piles of wood and scrap remain where makeshift homes stood until days ago.

The Jammu administration's directions to plot owners have translated into a ground-level eviction exercise. Where the families leaving these settlements will go next remains unclear.- EndsPublished By: Priyanka KumariPublished On: Sep 17, 2026 16:57 IST