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It was reported that 59 illegal immigrants detained in Bengaluru are being transported to West Bengal to be handed over to the Border Security Force to be eventually deported to Bangladesh.
Sabrang India recently reported how police officials are in a conundrum in the absence of a repatriation treaty with Bangladesh, about how to deal with persons convicted under section 14 of the Foreigners Act, who have served the sentenced as per the Court’s order. They have to await the orders from FRRO (Foreigners Regional Registration Office) with respect to such persons.
But this is in respect to persons who are taken to court, the Foreigners Act gives the government powers to deport a foreign national under section 3(2)(c) of the Foreigners Act, 1946. These powers to identify and deport illegally staying foreign nationals have also been delegated to the State Governments/ Union Territory Administrations and the Bureau of Immigration under the Foreigners Act, 1946.
The section 3(2)(c) and 3(2)(cc) of the Foreigners Act, 1946 says:
(2) In particular and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power, orders made under this section may provide that the foreigner—…
(c) shall not remain in 2[India], or in any prescribed area therein
(cc) shall, if he has been required by order under this section not to remain in India, meet from any resources at his disposal the cost of his removal from India and of his maintenance therein pending such removal
Accordingly, Bengaluru police is in the process of deporting 59 illegal Bangladeshi immigrants who were detained during one of the many crackdown taking place in the state. These immigrants include women and children who were mostly construction labourers, domestic helps and even rag-pickers and were living in slums in Ramamurthy Nagar, Bellandur and Marathahalli for many years. Sabrang India had reported how 29 men, 22 women and nine girls were picked up during a raid in the aforementioned areas. This exercise was carried out by Central Crime Branch.
Reportedly, these immigrants were kept at “detention centres” and in home for women on Hosur Road. While there are no details of which “detention centres” were they housed at, it raises an alarm on the existence of detention centres, which the central government denied few days ago in Parliament, that they existed anywhere apart from Assam. The exact words of the MoS (Minister of State) of MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs) when asked if there are detention camps in any other state, apart from Assam, were as follows:
“Detention Centres are set up by State Governments/UT Administrations as per their requirement to detain illegal migrants/foreigners who have completed their sentence pending their deportation to their native country. At present, detention centres have been setup only in the state of Assam.”
While he refrained from categorically denying that detention centers are being set up, in terms of “existence” of detention centres, he did assert that detention centres have been setup only in the state of Assam. If that’s the case then what about these alleged “detention centres” in Karnataka in which these illegal immigrants have been kept since October? Is the State not aware about their existence or has the State kept the Centre, intentionally, in dark about such detention centres? These are questions, answers to which will remain to be evasive and vague so that the general public is kept guessing on the issue.
Reportedly, the immigrants will be handed over to the Border Security Force (BSF) who will then take over the process of deportation. A senior police official was quoted saying, “We decided not to file cases as it would prolong the deportation process.”
Deportations from India
As per a press release, from March 2018, approximately 330 Pakistani and approximately 1770 Bangladeshi nationals were repatriated during the last three years which is 2015-2018. Information provided under the RTI (Right to Information) Act, in March 2014, by the MHA stated that 28,131 illegal infiltrators including 899 detected illegal immigrants were deported to Bangladesh up to March 2014.
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