India Expels Rohingya and Bengali-Speaking Muslims: HRW Annual Report 2026

According to HRW Asia Director Elaine Pearson, the Indian authorities have systematically vilified Muslims and marginalized groups. A key highlight of the report is the illegal expulsion of hundreds of Bengali-speaking Muslims and Rohingya refugees, who were branded as "illegal immigrants" and pushed across the border into Bangladesh without any due process. In many instances, those expelled included impoverished migrant workers who were actually Indian citizens.

The report details a significant escalation in the repression of independent voices following a deadly attack in Jammu and Kashmir in April 2025, which led to a brief four-day armed conflict between India and Pakistan. In the aftermath, the government reportedly suppressed dissent by blocking independent media outlets and filing cases against academics, satirists, and activists like Sonam Wangchuk. Furthermore, the report notes that authorities continued the "unlawful demolition" of Muslim-owned properties, claiming they belonged to alleged militants or illegal occupants—a practice the Indian Supreme Court had explicitly prohibited.

On a global scale, HRW Executive Director Philippe Bolopion identified the rise of authoritarianism as the "challenge of a generation." The report reveals a bleak global landscape where approximately 72% of the world's population now lives under some form of autocratic rule.

Bolopion specifically criticized the Trump administration's second term for its broad assault on democratic pillars and the international rules-based order. The report highlights inhumane treatment of immigrants in the U.S., with 32 deaths recorded in custody in 2025, and a strategy of weakening international institutions like the UN and ICC. In light of these threats, HRW has issued an urgent call for democratic nations and civil society to form a strategic global alliance to defend fundamental freedoms and uphold human rights standards.