The Supreme Court on Monday (August 31, 2026) agreed to hear in detail the “core issue” of whether the Rohingya in India can be classified as refugees or are to be considered illegal immigrants.
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, heading a three-judge Bench, acknowledged a submission by senior advocate Ashwini Kumar that the court must pronounce an authoritative ruling on the central question of whether the Rohingya were refugees and a class by themselves under the domestic and international laws.
The hearing came in a series of petitions filed by Rohingya persons living in camps in the national capital and represented by advocate Prashant Bhushan and senior advocate Colin Gonsalves.
He said the legal questions in the case were already prepared, and that the hearing must be restricted to them. In an earlier hearing in May, the Supreme Court had observed that if Rohingya persons were found to be “foreigners” under the Foreigners Act, they would be dealt with by the Centre in accordance with law.
