The Kerala police had recently detained 27 Bangladeshi illegal migrants from a single housing complex in North Paravur, marking the largest single-operation detention of illegal immigrants in the state. Police discovered that these migrants had been using forged documents, including Aadhaar cards, to stay and work in Kerala. Authorities determined their nationality based on their Bengali dialect and digital evidence retrieved from their phones.
However, the case of Bangladeshi youth Muhammed Samajul Haq is different. Haq, who was detained by the Kerala police in Kondotty on February 1, did not enter the state with forged documents. Instead, he arrived with a Bangladeshi passport and a tourist visa. However, his visa had expired, and he was found to be overstaying in India. Intelligence sources suggest that this is a new immigration trend where Bangladeshi immigrants cross into India through West Bengal and then travel to distant states like Kerala and stay here for work using a tourist visa and passport.
Although the Kerala Police are currently conducting “Operation Clean” to proactively identify illegal immigrants, Haq was caught due to his own mistake. He was staying with other migrant workers when the excise department conducted a routine check for illegal substances. Mistaking the officials for police, Haq panicked and fled, dropping his passport in the process. When he later returned, he was detained. No other individuals from his place of stay were found to have entered Kerala with a Bangladeshi passport and tourist visa for work.
Haq supposedly arrived in Kerala in November. Sources indicate that this is not the first time he has worked in India on a temporary visa. Intelligence agencies are now investigating whether more Bangladeshi individuals like Haq are using tourist visas to enter Kerala for employment.
Under Section 3(2)(c) of the Foreigners Act, 1946, the Central Government has the authority to deport foreign nationals illegally residing in India. These powers have also been delegated to State Governments and Union Territory Administrations.
In Haq’s case, the Kerala police will be responsible for his deportation. According to officials, Haq will be deported on Sunday, accompanied by three police officers who will escort him to the India-Bangladesh border. The police department will bear the costs associated with his travel and deportation.
The Haq’s deportation order was ready on Satruday, but the process was delayed due to the unavailability of trains. Police will now transport Haq to Haridaspur, on the Indian side of the Benapole Border Crossing, an international border point between West Bengal and Bangladesh.
