India-Bangladesh border marked as “high degree of porosity,” says MHA report

Kiren Rijiju had informed Parliament on November 16, 2016, that around 20 million illegal Bangladeshi migrants staying in India

PGurus Newsdesk

November 14, 2022

Kiren Rijiju had informed Parliament on November 16, 2016, that around 20 million illegal Bangladeshi migrants staying in India

Illegal migration, cross-border activities major challenges along India-Bangladesh border: MHA

Illegal migration and cross-border activities are major challenges along the India-Bangladesh border, which is marked by a “high degree of porosity”, the Union Home Ministry has said in a report.

The total length of the India-Bangladesh border is 4,096.7 km, of which 3,145 km has been covered by physical fencing and the remaining is planned to be covered by physical and non-physical barriers, it said.

According to the annual report of the Union Home Ministry for 2021-22, “The Indo-Bangladesh border is marked by a high degree of porosity and the checking of illegal cross border activities and illegal migration from Bangladesh to India have been major challenges.”

The report says, “To curb infiltration, smuggling, and other anti-national activities from across the India-Bangladesh border, the government has undertaken the construction of a fence along it.”

“In order to prevent illegal migration and illegal activities including anti-national activities from across the border, the Government of India had sanctioned the construction of border fencing with floodlights in two phases,” it said, adding that all the ongoing works are to be completed by March 2024.

On July 26, 2022, Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said 2,399 Bangladeshi nationals had been found using fraudulently obtained Indian documents in the last five years.

He said the Centre had asked state governments to take prompt steps to identify illegal Bangladeshi migrants staying in India. Rai said the states had also been advised to share the particulars of those illegal migrants, who had wrongfully obtained Aadhaar cards, for appropriate legal action.

Former Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju had informed Parliament on November 16, 2016, that as per available inputs, “there are around 20 million illegal Bangladeshi migrants staying in India”.

Assam and West Bengal are considered to be the worst hit due to the alleged illegal infiltration from Bangladesh. The government has decided to undertake the work of installation of floodlights in West Bengal, Meghalaya, Assam, Mizoram, and Tripura along the India-Bangladesh border. Out of 3,077.549 km of border floodlight sanctioned, 2,681.99 km of work has been completed. The rest is to be completed by March 2023.

[With Inputs from IANS]

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