In a major crackdown on illegal immigrants staying in Jammu and Kashmir more than 150 Rohingyas have been detained at a holding centre in Sub Jail Hiranagar at the end of the verification process of their travel documents.
According to official sources, during the special drive conducted at the Maulana Azad stadium in Jammu on Saturday police authorities verified travel documents and collected biometrics of large numbers of illegal immigrants including Rohingyas from Myanmar.
During the verification process the sports stadium was kept out of bounds from the local media persons as none of them were permitted to enter the premises.
Their entry was restricted at the entry gate of the stadium where this verification drive was going on.
After completing the daylong exercise Inspector General of Police, Jammu range, Mukesh Singh in a press statement said, “ 155 illegal immigrant Rohingyas staying in the Union Territory of J&K were sent to the holding center established vide Home department notification dated 5th March 2021 on Saturday”. According to police, “sub jail Hiranagar in Kathua district has been converted into a holding centre to accommodate these illegal immigrants”.
IG Jammu said, “This was done under section 3(2)e of the Foreigners Act. Due process of law was followed in this exercise. These immigrants were not holding valid travel documents required in terms of section (3) of the Passports Act”.
The exercise of identifying more such immigrants is still in progress, Mukesh Singh added.
“After sending them to the holding center, the process of nationality verification will be done as per the prescribed process. After completion of the Nationality verification, the process of deportation of these illegal immigrants will be initiated”, IG Jammu Mukesh Singh said.
According to J&k Home department report tabled in the state assembly on February 2, 2018, “a total number of 6523 Rohingyas were found camping across 39 different locations spread across five districts of Jammu and Kashmir”. According to the Home department report, “6461 Rohingyas were staying in Jammu division and 62 in Kashmir division”.
However, local activists and politicians, spearheading a campaign in support of their deportation, often contest these figures claiming large numbers of these illegal immigrants are scattered and even their bio metrics have not been collected by the security personnel.