Several States Begin Crackdown On Illegal Bangladeshi Immigrants

Several states have begun the process of identifying Bangladeshis staying illegally in various parts, as a part of an exercise to deport the immigrants.

In Odisha, Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan on Monday said the state government has issued a direction to all district collectors, coastal security agencies and formed a Special Task Force (STF) to coordinate the process of identifying the undocumented Bangladeshi immigrants.

"The government has taken a tough stand. No foreign national without valid legal status will be allowed to stay in Odisha. The identification process has already begun and will be carried out meticulously in all districts," Mr Harichandan said.

He said preliminary discussions with various government branches and agencies such as those employing migrant labourers have been asked to verify their identities and nationalities.

"Different engineering departments of the state government have been asked not to engage any Bangladesh or foreign nationals without valid documents," he said. 

The state government has designated the STF as the nodal agency to coordinate and monitor the developments, besides working closely with district-level officers, coastal security forces and other enforcement units.

The districts of Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Puri and Ganjam have been identified as possible areas housing illegal migrants.

STF Director General Pinak Mishra said that after the identification process is complete, the government will initiate legal proceedings under The Foreigners Act and other relevant laws to deport the illegal migrants.

"Since Odisha shares its border with West Bengal, which borders Bangladesh, we are keeping a strict vigil as there is every possibility of infiltration, be it through waterways or roadways," he said. 

The Maharashtra government is also conducting a similar exercise with the Mumbai Police saying that 300 illegal Bangladeshis have been deported so far in recent times. Police said 766 such illegal immigrants have been arrested so far this year.

Eighteen lakh ration cards were cancelled till May 18, officials said, adding that most of the holders were likely illegal Bangladeshi residents. In Mumbai, 4.8 lakh ration cards were cancelled.  

"Our government will not do injustice to any such family...Our government will not do injustice to anyone except Bangladeshi infiltrators. Action will be taken against those who are eligible for action, the general public will not be harassed," Cabinet Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said. 

Saiddul Sheikh, who says he is from West Bengal, agrees that the police should crack down on illegal entry of Bangladeshis and those who make fake documents but not target labourers like him who have come from the eastern state to make a living. He said he has also made several rounds of the police station for verification.

India has adopted a new "push back" strategy to tackle infiltration from Bangladesh, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told reporters earlier this month. He said the Centre has deported illegal immigrants, including Rohingyas, from different parts of the country, including from the Matia detention centre in Goalpara - one of the largest facilities in the country housing illegal immigrants.

Calling cross-border infiltration a "big issue", Mr Sarma said it will be minimised because of the new "push back" phenomenon. "Earlier, we used to arrest 1,000-1,500 foreigners. We used to arrest them, and they would be sent to jails, and then they would be produced before a court of law. Now, we have decided that we will not bring them into our country, and will push them back," he said.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma had on April 30 directed police to launch a campaign against illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and to ensure their deportation.

Subsequently, a first batch of 148 illegal Bangladeshi immigrants rounded up by police was sent to West Bengal on a special flight, as part of the deportation process, police sources said.

"These infiltrators were kept at one of the two detention centres set up in Jaipur. In the first phase of their deportation, 148 have been sent to Jodhpur and dispatched for West Bengal for final deportation," one of them said. 

The source added that 1,008 "infiltrators" have been detained in the exercise so far in 17 districts of the state.

(With Inputs from Puja Bhardwj, Dev Kumar Ghosh)