Centre mulling immigration policy to halt influx

The proposal involves a ground survey across Assam, West Bengal, Meghalaya and Tripura and will seek to determine the pattern of immigration

From a Correspondent

New Delhi, June 29: The Centre is mooting an immigration policy to stop illegal migration from Bangladesh.

Highly placed government sources said that the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Union Law Ministry and the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) are working on a comprehensive immigration policy to determine immigration patterns. The policy, according to the sources, will also determine what kind of influx of foreigners are taking place.

"This is a long pending demand which is very much necessary to stop inflow of illegal Bangladeshis," said BJP MP Ramen Deka.

Interestingly, the BJP is holding its tiol office bearers meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday where the issue of immigration policy will be taken up. The meeting will be chaired by party president Amit Shah.

"I will definitely raise the issue of illegal infiltration from Bangladesh… I will emphasise on the implementation of such a policy," said Deka.

A bill will be introduced in Parliament to give legal teeth to the policy. "Proper consultations will be done with concerned state governments including West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura," said the sources in the MHA on condition of anonymity.

"The policy will definitely have its impact on the geographical, economic and political situation of the country," said another BJP MP Bijoya Chakraborty.

The proposal involves a ground survey across Assam, West Bengal, Meghalaya and Tripura which share 4,096 km borders with Bangladesh to determine the immigrant population, with March 25, 1971, as the cut-off date of entry.

Sources said that the implications of the 1974 Land Boundary Agreement which was recently ratified by Indian Parliament will be taken into account. Interestingly, this will be the first-of-its-kind immigration policy that will be framed and implemented in India.

Almost all political parties have been using the issue of illegal immigrants for their political gain.

The proposed policy goes in the line with Prime Minister rendra Modi's pledge to flush out illegal migrants from the country.

During pre-election campaign Modi had promised to detect and deport all illegal foreigners from the country.

Interestingly, the Centre has already initiated the move to update the tiol Register of Citizens (NRC) to detect and deport illegal foreigners. The NRC update exercise has also fixed March 25, 1971, as the cut-off date of entry.