India is taking a leaf out of the United States strategy to deport undocumented and illegal Bangladeshi immigrants back to their country. India is one of the farthest destinations for US military flights deporting illegals, and interestingly there have been conversations in security circles about how countries like the US have been handling the issue of illegal immigration. Grappling with the issue of detection and deportation of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants for some years now, there has been a move to speed up the process in line with international procedures which some other countries, like the US, have been following strictly.
“It is the obligation of all countries to take back their nationals, if they are found to be living illegal abroad,” the ministry of external affairs told Parliament earlier this year. “This is, however, subject to an unambiguous verification of their nationality. This is a policy not only practiced by India, but is a generally accepted principle in international relations,” it said.
Government sources said it is now the turn of Bangladesh to accept this policy and principle as New Delhi has decided to send illegal Bangladeshi immigrants back—not only from areas close to the border in North eastern states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and West Bengal but also from hinterland states where illegals have been detected, their nationalities established and who are now being taken back to the borders to send them across into Bangladesh.
“The push back policy is not new,” government sources said. “The attempt has been not to allow the illegals from going farther into the country once they have crossed the borders and the Border Security Force with the help of the state police has been pushing them back, largely with the assistance and understanding of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) in the last few years.”
However, with the present strain in ties with Dhaka, there is uncertainty about the reaction of the interim government in Bangladesh as thousands of illegals are being sent back. Their fate also remains uncertain in a scenario where the BGB does not welcome them back, opening up the option of sending them to deportation centres. Both Tripura and Meghalaya have emerged as the two main centres from where the majority of illegals are being sent back—by air or by land—to send them back through the borders in the northeastern states and West Bengal .
As the government implements strict measures to send back illegal Bangladeshi migrants, there are three fold challenges going forward—more checks and balances are needed in issuance of Aadhar cards to prevent illegal immigrants in getting these documents; a strategy to tackle cases where Bangladesh refuses to accept the illegals and a firm legal system in place to handle the issue in courts going forward.
In the past, there have been concerns around repatriation of illegal immigrants living in Assam’s detention centres. The aspect of deportation and facilities at detention centres have come under the legal lens, making it a complex process involving several stakeholders—ministries of home and external affairs and law enforcement agencies involving central and state police forces. In effect, it meant that the national security and diplomatic efforts needed to go hand in hand for an effective handling of the critical issue with a neighbouring country.
But at the moment, the focus is on preventive deterrence to ensure more illegals do no enter the country, especially at a time when there are concerns about attempts being made by radical elements to create unrest post Operation Sindoor in Pakistan.