The Union Home Ministry (MHA) has directed all the States to identify and deport illegal immigrants like Rohingya Muslims who have illegally entered from Myanmar and are staying in several States of India. The Centre directed the State Governments to set up a task force at district level for the purpose.
In a communiqué to the States, the MHA said the rise of terrorism has become a serious concern for most nations as illegal immigrants are more susceptible to poaching by terrorist organisations.
“These illegal immigrants not only infringe on the rights of Indian citizens but also pose grave security challenges,” said the MHA report sent last week.
Infiltration of Rohingyas from Myanmar into Indian territory, especially in recent years, is not only an extra burden on the limited resources of the country, it aggravates security challenges posed to India, the MHA said.
Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju had said in Parliament on August 9, “Some inputs indicate that around 40,000 Rohingyas are staying in India illegally. Rohingyas are largely located in Jammu, Hyderabad, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR and Rajasthan.”
“Due to a variety of reasons, including political and economic turmoil in neighbouring countries, people from there often enter India. There are cultural and ethnic similarities, on many occasions such immigrants go unnoticed and they settle in Indian territory,” Joint Secretary in the MHA Dilip Kumar said in the letter sent on August 8.