RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh on Tuesday deported 30 Bangladeshi nationals following an ongoing verification exercise in the state, with the individuals being sent back to their homeland.
The undocumented Bangladeshi migrants were taken by flight to Guwahati, where they will be handed over to the Border Security Force (BSF), a police officer said. After initiating the necessary action and completing the process of deportation, all illegal immigrants will be sent across the border into the neighbouring country.
The thirty immigrants found staying “without valid documents” were traced from the districts of Raipur, Durg, Rajnandgaon and Raigarh. They were apprehended following intelligence inputs and some complaints received from local inhabitants about the foreigners staying illegally.
According to a senior intelligence officer, some Bangladeshis had even procured Indian passports in Chhattisgarh, travelled to their country, and returned to the state.
On Tuesday, the issue of Bangladeshi and Rohingya undocumented immigrants was raised by senior BJP MLA Ajay Chandrakar in the House, claiming that their strength is consistently on the rise in different districts of the state.
Chandrakar claimed that illegal immigrants are accessing the benefits of government schemes after they secured documents illegally on the basis of “false documentation” and the official machinery failing to enforce stringent regulations.
Chandrakar claimed that illegal immigrants are availing benefits of government schemes by obtaining documents through “false documentation”, alleging the official machinery failing to enforce stringent regulations.
The state home minister Vijay Sharma responded that efforts have been intensified to identify illegal immigrants staying without valid documents and, so far, 19 criminal cases have been registered, and forty persons (infiltrators) arrested under the Foreigners Act.
“After arrest, they all will be kept in a holding (deport) centre before initiating the deportation process,” the home minister said.
Chhattisgarh has given a strong push to intensify surveillance, identity, and initiative action against Bangladeshi infiltrators, immigrants staying in the state illegally.
A Special Task Force has been constituted around mid-May this year in every district of the state as part of the special campaign intended to keep the national security in perspective.
The contractors, businessmen of tents or scrap dealers who hire people or labourers from outside without valid documents will also face actions. They have been asked to mandatorily ensure document verification of their labour force.