BRADFORD politicians are calling for more to be done to help Rohingya refugees.

The city’s MP for Bradford East Imran Hussain raised the Rohingyas plight in the House of Commons on Wednesday.

He asked International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt what the Government was doing to help reunite refugees in Bangladesh camps with their families in the UK.

“Many of my Rohingya constituents have families who are in refugee camps in Bangladesh who are fleeing persecution and want to join their families in the UK as they are entitled to do. However, they face obstacles and other unnecessary bureaucracy. What is the Government doing to reunite families?”

Ms Mordaunt said the Government was making a huge effort to help and added: “If there are any individual cases I’ll be happy to look at them.”

Campaigning Yorkshire and Humber MEP Amjad Bashir welcomed a report from MPs this week expressing grave concern about plans to return Rohingya refugees to Myanmar in the near future.

He said the report, issued by the Commons Select Committee on International Development, should be taken as a red light to stop the repatriation plan in its tracks.

The committee said it was “clear” that rape and sexual violence were still being used as weapons of war used by the Burmese military.

Mr Bashir said: “The committee is absolutely right about this reckless repatriation plan. I hope the report will stop it in its tracks.

“How can we return people to a place where they face further violence, rape and cruelty? You might as well march them into a minefield.

“I have met these people and heard their tragic stories. They need help, healing and shelter in the camps - and proper international protection before they can even think about returning.”

Taxi driver Deen Mohammed Norri who lives in the White Abbey area of Bradford is a Rohingya who spent 17 years in refugee camps before finding refuge in Bradford in 2010 - his parents, brothers and sisters are still in the camps.

Mr Norri, 32, who runs the the Arakan Rohingya Organisation UK campaign from his home, says he cries for his family and fears they will be killed if they are eventually forced to return to Myanmar.

“They will be lost. They will be killed if they have to go back. I cry for them. Their situation in the camps is harrowing, it’s unbelievable.There is no freedom of movement, there is nothing. If the Government really wanted to reunite families with relatives in the UK they could do it.”