Illegal infiltration along Indo-Bangladesh border a big challenge: Home Ministry
New Delhi. Illegal immigration and cross-border movement are the major challenges along the Indo-Bangladesh border. The Union Home Ministry has given this information in a report. The total length of the India-Bangladesh border is 4,096.7 kms, of which 3,145 kms have been fenced, while there are plans to set up direct or indirect barriers on the rest, the report said.
According to the Union Home Ministry’s annual report for the year 2021-22, the India-Bangladesh border is highly vulnerable to infiltration and curbing illegal immigration and illegal cross-border activities from Bangladesh into India has been a major challenge.
Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said on 26 July 2022 that in the last five years, 2,399 Bangladeshi nationals have been found using fraudulently obtained Indian documents. He had told that the Center has asked the state governments to take prompt steps to identify illegal Bangladeshi migrants living in India. Rai had said that states have also been advised to share the details of illegal migrants who have obtained Aadhaar cards wrongly, so that appropriate legal action can be taken against them.
Former Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju had informed Parliament on 16 November 2016 that as per available inputs, there are around 20 million illegal Bangladeshi migrants living in India. According to the annual report of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the government has started fencing work on the Indo-Bangladesh border to curb infiltration, smuggling and other anti-national activities there.
The Government of India had approved fencing with flood-lights along the Indo-Bangladesh border in two phases to prevent illegal cross-border immigration and illegal and anti-national activities, the report said. The report further states that all works related to fencing are to be completed by March 2024.
According to the report, the indirect barrier will involve technical measures, while the replacement of the old direct fences with better designed fences has also been approved. The report said that there have been some problems in the fencing work in some parts of the India-Bangladesh border due to rivers and low-lying areas, settlement within 150 yards of the border, pending land acquisition cases and protests by the border population and This project has been delayed.
According to the report, roads have been constructed in the border areas for better connectivity and operational mobility. It has been informed that out of the total sanctioned 4,223.04 km of border road, 3,750.87 km road has been constructed so far and this work is to be completed by March 2024.
According to the report, the central government has decided to install flood-lights along the Indo-Bangladesh border in West Bengal, Meghalaya, Assam, Mizoram and Tripura. It has been informed that it has been decided to install flood-lights on a total length of 3,077.549 km, out of which work has been completed on 2,681.99 km, while the target has been set to install flood-lights in the rest of the area by March 2023. .
During the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi had said that Bangladeshis living illegally in India would be deported if he came to power. At an election rally held in Srirampur, West Bengal, adjoining Bangladesh, Modi had said, “The leaders have welcomed them (illegal Bangladeshi migrants) by laying red carpets just for votes.” You can write it. After May 16, these Bangladeshis will have to pack their bags and be ready. Assam and West Bengal are considered to be the worst-hit states by alleged illegal infiltration from Bangladesh. (Language)
