Assam Tribune: Guwahati: Wednesday, July 30, 2014.
There were
28,131 illegal infiltrators deported to Bangladesh up to March 2014, said the
Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in reply to an RTI petition filed on July
23 by RTI activist Rohit Choudhury.
Choudhury in
his petition sought all copies of the correspondences, communications, letters
and Office Memorandums made and received among the MHA, MoEA and the PMO since
April 1, 2004 on the issue of illegal migrants from Bangladesh identified in
Assam and their deportation.
The MHA said
that the powers to identify and deport the foreign nationals, including the
Bangla nationals, illegally staying in Indian territory have been delegated to
the State Governments and Union Territory Administrations under Section 3(2)
(c) of the Foreigners Act, 1946. Detection and deportation of such illegal
immigrants is a continuous process.
Thirty six
Foreigners Tribunals are set up for detection of foreigners/illegal immigrants
in Assam. Besides, additional 64 Foreigners Tribunals have been sanctioned by
the MHA in June, 2013 for speedy disposal of cases pending with the Tribunals.
Detected illegal migrants or illegal Bangla nationals are deported to
Bangladesh. In order to ensure speedier disposal of cases pending in the
Foreigners Tribunals, in April 2012, Foreigners (Tribunal) Order, 1964 was
amended, which envisages that the cases shall be disposed of by the Tribunals
within 60 days from the reference received from the competent authority.
The MHA reply
stated that the matter of detection and deportation of illegal Bangla
nationals/ foreigners staying in India are dealt by it. Highest priority has
been attached to control illegal migration from Bangladesh and also detection
and deportation of Bangla nationals staying illegally in the country. Such
issues are discussed regularly among the Central Ministries concerned and there
are no specific correspondences among the MHA, Ministry of External Affairs
(MoEA) and the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) available, said the MHA in its
reply.