Narendra Modi remark puts Bangladeshi immigrants in NCR back in focus
NEW
DELHI: The dormant issue of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants has come
alive with BJP's PM nominee, Narendra Modi, issuing an ultimatum to them
on Sunday to leave India. Modi's speech in West Bengal may be political
posturing, but it has put the issue in focus even in the NCR, which
hosts many thousands of illegal immigrants, and where multiple
authorities have grappled with the issue for years.
Activists
and lawyers say the state and its agencies have largely approached the
influx as a security threat although it is inseparable from issues of
child/women trafficking and the insatiable demand for cheap domestic
labour. That is perhaps why the immigration continues unabated despite
intervention by courts and deportation drives by organizations such as
Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO).
The identifies
and deports illegal immigrants as per the provisions of the Foreigners
Act, 1946. From time to time, courts have expressed concern over the
problem. The Delhi high court in 2008 observed that the influx poses a
"threat to the integrity and security of India" and permitted to deport
five members of a family to Bangladesh. "The large-scale influx of
illegal migrants has led to large tracts of sensitive borders having
serious implications for internal security," it said, dismissing a
petition filed by a Bangladeshi woman against the deportation of her
family. The ration card and nationality certificates with the family
were found to be forgeries.
The court had then said that is
duty-bound to act against Bangladeshi migrants who violate the law.
"Bangladeshi nationals who have migrated illegally have no right to
remain in India and are liable to be deported." Following HC's
intervention, the government formed a 'nodal authority' to monitor
action taken.
In a submission to a Delhi court in 2012, the
said it had deported over more than 45,066 illegal migrants from
Bangladesh since 1991, including 182 that year. The figures were
revealed after additional sessions judge Kamini Lau passed strictures
against Delhi's chief secretary, police commissioner and the for failing
to identify and deport illegal migrants from Bangladesh living in the
city. "It is unfortunate that while genuine citizens of this country
continue to suffer in abject poverty, it is petty vote bank politics
which prevents a firm, resolute, intense government action against the
three crore (official figures) Bangladesh nationals illegally staying in
our country," the court said.
Last year, while examining the
benefits of Aadhaar cards, a Supreme Court bench of justices B S
Chauhan, J Chelameswar and M Y Eqbal also noted that "illegal migration
to India continues unabated".
However, human rights lawyer
Anant Asthana says his work in the field has convinced him that the
state's crackdown hurts children and women the most. A study conducted
last year by the Haq Centre for Child Rights on Non-National Children
found those targeted are the Bengali-speaking Muslim community. "The
study showed, for example, that in the case of cross-border migrants,
Nepalis are tolerated while Bangladeshis are hounded and thrown out of
the country. There are serious questions with regard to the human rights
of all these categories of residents. Children are even more vulnerable
to abuse in such a situation," Asthana said.
MD NAUSHAD ALAM
PGDM 2 SEM.
NEW
DELHI: The dormant issue of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants has come
alive with BJP's PM nominee, Narendra Modi, issuing an ultimatum to them
on Sunday to leave India. Modi's speech in West Bengal may be political
posturing, but it has put the issue in focus even in the NCR, which
hosts many thousands of illegal immigrants, and where multiple
authorities have grappled with the issue for years.
Activists and lawyers say the state and its agencies have largely approached the influx as a security threat although it is inseparable from issues of child/women trafficking and the insatiable demand for cheap domestic labour. That is perhaps why the immigration continues unabated despite intervention by courts and deportation drives by organizations such as Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO).
The identifies and deports illegal immigrants as per the provisions of the Foreigners Act, 1946. From time to time, courts have expressed concern over the problem. The Delhi high court in 2008 observed that the influx poses a "threat to the integrity and security of India" and permitted to deport five members of a family to Bangladesh. "The large-scale influx of illegal migrants has led to large tracts of sensitive borders having serious implications for internal security," it said, dismissing a petition filed by a Bangladeshi woman against the deportation of her family. The ration card and nationality certificates with the family were found to be forgeries.
The court had then said that is duty-bound to act against Bangladeshi migrants who violate the law. "Bangladeshi nationals who have migrated illegally have no right to remain in India and are liable to be deported." Following HC's intervention, the government formed a 'nodal authority' to monitor action taken.
In a submission to a Delhi court in 2012, the said it had deported over more than 45,066 illegal migrants from Bangladesh since 1991, including 182 that year. The figures were revealed after additional sessions judge Kamini Lau passed strictures against Delhi's chief secretary, police commissioner and the for failing to identify and deport illegal migrants from Bangladesh living in the city. "It is unfortunate that while genuine citizens of this country continue to suffer in abject poverty, it is petty vote bank politics which prevents a firm, resolute, intense government action against the three crore (official figures) Bangladesh nationals illegally staying in our country," the court said.
Last year, while examining the benefits of Aadhaar cards, a Supreme Court bench of justices B S Chauhan, J Chelameswar and M Y Eqbal also noted that "illegal migration to India continues unabated".
However, human rights lawyer Anant Asthana says his work in the field has convinced him that the state's crackdown hurts children and women the most. A study conducted last year by the Haq Centre for Child Rights on Non-National Children found those targeted are the Bengali-speaking Muslim community. "The study showed, for example, that in the case of cross-border migrants, Nepalis are tolerated while Bangladeshis are hounded and thrown out of the country. There are serious questions with regard to the human rights of all these categories of residents. Children are even more vulnerable to abuse in such a situation," Asthana said.
Activists and lawyers say the state and its agencies have largely approached the influx as a security threat although it is inseparable from issues of child/women trafficking and the insatiable demand for cheap domestic labour. That is perhaps why the immigration continues unabated despite intervention by courts and deportation drives by organizations such as Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO).
The identifies and deports illegal immigrants as per the provisions of the Foreigners Act, 1946. From time to time, courts have expressed concern over the problem. The Delhi high court in 2008 observed that the influx poses a "threat to the integrity and security of India" and permitted to deport five members of a family to Bangladesh. "The large-scale influx of illegal migrants has led to large tracts of sensitive borders having serious implications for internal security," it said, dismissing a petition filed by a Bangladeshi woman against the deportation of her family. The ration card and nationality certificates with the family were found to be forgeries.
The court had then said that is duty-bound to act against Bangladeshi migrants who violate the law. "Bangladeshi nationals who have migrated illegally have no right to remain in India and are liable to be deported." Following HC's intervention, the government formed a 'nodal authority' to monitor action taken.
In a submission to a Delhi court in 2012, the said it had deported over more than 45,066 illegal migrants from Bangladesh since 1991, including 182 that year. The figures were revealed after additional sessions judge Kamini Lau passed strictures against Delhi's chief secretary, police commissioner and the for failing to identify and deport illegal migrants from Bangladesh living in the city. "It is unfortunate that while genuine citizens of this country continue to suffer in abject poverty, it is petty vote bank politics which prevents a firm, resolute, intense government action against the three crore (official figures) Bangladesh nationals illegally staying in our country," the court said.
Last year, while examining the benefits of Aadhaar cards, a Supreme Court bench of justices B S Chauhan, J Chelameswar and M Y Eqbal also noted that "illegal migration to India continues unabated".
However, human rights lawyer Anant Asthana says his work in the field has convinced him that the state's crackdown hurts children and women the most. A study conducted last year by the Haq Centre for Child Rights on Non-National Children found those targeted are the Bengali-speaking Muslim community. "The study showed, for example, that in the case of cross-border migrants, Nepalis are tolerated while Bangladeshis are hounded and thrown out of the country. There are serious questions with regard to the human rights of all these categories of residents. Children are even more vulnerable to abuse in such a situation," Asthana said.
MD NAUSHAD ALAM
PGDM 2 SEM.
No comments:
Post a Comment