India

Working environment

• The protection environment in India remained positive. 4,200 refugees had their stay regularized, following the issuance of long-term visas which provide access to employment opportunities. In 2015, refugees and asylum-seekers continued to enjoy access to Government services, including health and education. 
• The detention of people of concern to UNHCR – mostly of Rohingya asylum-seekers in border areas – continued to be reported. UNHCR scaled up awareness-raising activities on refugee protection, including with border officials. Direct access to people in detention remained a challenge, with some outreach provided through partners.  

Population trends

• In 2015, the Government of India effectively protected and assisted over 174,000 Tibetans and Sri Lankans. In addition, India hosted over 33,500 refugees and asylum-seekers registered with UNHCR from other countries.  
• Of the 27,000 refugees and 6,500 asylum-seekers registered in 2015, the vast majority were from Myanmar and Afghanistan, with smaller numbers from the Middle East and Africa. 
• The number of new arrivals reached 6,500, representing a 17 per cent increase compared to 2014. Afghans constituted the largest group of new arrivals (3,230). Voluntary repatriation of Afghans meanwhile declined from 162 in 2014 to 60 in 2015. 
• Voluntary repatriation of Sri Lankan refugees increased from 396 to 452 compared to 2014. 

Achievements and impact    

• Closer technical cooperation and continued advocacy with the Government of India resulted in simplified long-term visa application procedures. 
• Innovative market linkages were established to expand livelihood opportunities for refugees through a new partner. As a result, the livelihoods needs of unskilled Rohingyas in Delhi were partly addressed.
• For the first time, water and sanitation interventions were implemented in Jammu. A pilot livelihood project was also initiated. 
• Registration services were introduced in Jammu, as well as registration and mobile refugee status determination (RSD) procedures in Hyderabad, in order to reach out to vulnerable asylum-seekers who could not afford to travel to Delhi. 
• The collaboration with legal networks to prevent and respond to detention was strengthened. Trainings with border security officials were held for the first time in 2015.

Unmet needs    

• Access to Rohingyas settled outside of Delhi was limited, as UNHCR did not previously have an operational presence in border areas. 
• Due to an unexpected increase in Afghan arrivals, RSD targets could not be met.
• Reliable access to public health care, birth certificates, education and SGBV prevention services remained limited outside Delhi. 
• Ferry services between India and Sri Lanka did not resume in 2015. As a result, returnee families could not carry all their belongings home, which affected their decisions to return.