Al Ngullie
Morung Express News
Dimapur | March 18
The Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, has noted the involvement of Bangladeshi illegal immigrants in crimes and illegal activities in some Indian states. The Centre has said that the powers to identify and deport all illegally-staying foreign nationals, including Bangladeshi nationals, are with the state governments.
The issue of influx of illegal immigrants, especially those from Bangladesh, in the Northeastern state of Nagaland remains a tricky topic. During the debate on the Governor’s Speech on March 13 in the ongoing Nagaland state budget session, opposition Congress had warned the Naga People’s Front-led Democratic Alliance of Nagaland government that the ‘invasion’ is starting to change the demographic profile of Nagaland state.
Interestingly, on March 13 too in Delhi, the Indian minister-for-State of the Ministry of Home Affairs had told the Lok Sabha that the center is aware of the involvement of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh in crime and criminal activities. Minister of State Jitendra Singh told the Lok Sabha that the Center has delegated powers to the states to take action in checking illegal immigrants.
“Instances of violation of the law and involvement in illegal activities by some Bangladeshi nationals have been reported. Registration of cases and action thereon comes within the purview of police stations and state governments/Union Territory administrations concerned,” Singh told the Lok Sabha on the 13th. He admitted that statistical data of “this nature” is not centrally maintained.
The minister-for-state said that the central government is vested with powers to deport a foreign national under section 3(2) (c) of the Foreigners Act, 1946. “These powers to identify and deport illegally staying foreign nationals, including Bangladeshi nationals, have also been delegated to the state governments/ UT administrations. Detection and deportation of such illegal immigrants is a continuous process. A revised procedure for detection and deportation of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants was communicated to the State Governments/ Union Territory Administrations in November, 2009, which was partially modified in February, 2011,” the minister said.
The procedure includes sending back then and there, the illegal immigrants who are intercepted at the border while entering India unauthorized, Singh told the Lok Sabha.
The minister also cited an instance of Bangladeshi nationals who are hiding in India after committing murder. “As per information available, Interpol wing of the Central Bureau of Investigation had received a list of six wanted criminals, who are alleged killers of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Appropriate action, including issuing look-out circulars against these six persons, was taken,” he said.
The central government’s comments come at a time when Nagaland and Assam are grappling with probably the biggest influxes of illegal immigrants in the Indian regions, particularly from Bangladesh. Pakistan nationals are also believed to be in the north eastern states.
Currently a civil movement to identify illegal immigrants is underway in Nagaland’s only commercial district, Dimapur district, after another crime, gang-rape of a newly-married Naga woman, was committed by five individuals said to be illegal immigrants.
