Meghalaya prosecutes 658, deports 194 Bangladeshi nationals since 2021: Prestone Tynsong

CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG: The Meghalaya government on Tuesday detailed its intensified crackdown on illegal migration, informing the Assembly that it has prosecuted 658 Bangladeshi nationals and deported 194 since 2021 under a coordinated enforcement mechanism spanning border infrastructure, district squads and state-level monitoring.

Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, who holds the Home (Police) portfolio, furnished the figures while responding to a call attention notice moved by VPP MLA Heaving Stone Kharpran. He said the state relies on a "comprehensive and multi-layered anti-infiltration mechanism" that links check posts, task forces and joint field operations to detect and act against illegal entrants.

At present, authorities operate 18 check posts, gates and a land customs station along sensitive stretches of the inter-state and Indo-Bangladesh border. District-level squads carry out surprise NAKA checks and joint patrols in coordination with Labour Department officials, Village Defence Parties and local bodies. The government has also constituted eleven District Task Forces to streamline detection, prosecution and deportation.

"From 2021 till 03.02.2026, a total of 658 Bangladeshi nationals were detected in the state and prosecuted under relevant legal provisions," Tynsong said.

"During the same period, authorities deported 194 Bangladeshi nationals after completing their sentences and obtaining the requisite travel permits from the Bangladesh Embassy."

The Deputy Chief Minister informed the House that the government has formed a state-level monitoring committee to oversee enforcement measures. Authorities are enforcing the Meghalaya Resident Safety and Security Act, 2016 in parts of East Khasi Hills and are also invoking the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

"The government appeals to all organizations and citizens to cooperate with the authorities and allow verification to be carried out through lawful means," Tynsong said, asserting that the objective is to safeguard genuine Indian citizens while acting firmly against infiltration.

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