39 Bangladeshis deported in 2 yrs

New Delhi: Only 39 Bangladeshi nationals, who had entered Assam illegally, were deported in the last two years, Union minister Kiren Rijiju said. Mr Rijiju said the Assam government has been advised to take necessary action to deport these Bangladeshi nationals as soon as possible.

In last two years, the Assam government has managed to deport 39 illegal Bangladeshi migrants from different deportation camps in the state. This was disclosed by minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju in Lok Sabha on Tuesday in a written reply. State governments have the necessary powers to deport illegal migrants.

The minister also informed the Parliament that the deportation exercise was carried out in 2016 and 2017. In addition, Mr Rijiju added that Bangladesh had identified and confirmed the nationality of 53 other Bangladeshi nationals, including a minor, for the purpose of deportation.

All the 53 illegal migrants are currently lodged in different deportation camps in Assam.

The state government has already been advised to complete the deportation process of these people at the earliest.

Deportation of illegal foreign migrants is a continuous exercise and even Centre has the powers to deport such foreign nationals according to provisions of Section 3( 2)( c) of the Foreigners Act, 1946.

Mr Rijiju said even state governments, Union Territory administrations and the Bureau of Immigration has also been delegated necessary powers to identify and deport foreign nationals staying illegally in the country. These illegal migrant enter India without valid travel documents in a clandestine and surreptitious manner, the minister added.

Mr Rijiju said hence it was not possible to have an accurate figure of such illegal migrants, including Bangladeshi immigrants, living in different parts of the country.

He also claimed that some reports have been received about a number of the such illegal immigrants even managing to obtain identity cards in a fraudulent manner.