Illegal Immigrants Are Threat to Security of Country

After the Pahalgam attack, illegal immigrants are once again in the news.

- MURARI GUPTA

Considering them a threat to the internal security of the country, a special campaign is being run against them.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had instructed all state governments to identify foreign nationals and send them back. After this, the work of driving out illegal immigrants was started in all states including Gujarat and Rajasthan.

How dangerous these illegal Bangladeshi citizens are for the security of the country can be gauged from the statement of Gujarat's Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi. He said that many of the illegal Bangladeshi citizens were involved in drugs and human trafficking. Two of the four Bangladeshi citizens arrested worked as sleeper cells of Al Qaeda. News of illegal Bangladeshi citizens reaching many cities and towns of Rajasthan has started coming.

The extradition campaign of illegal Bangladeshi citizens is the result of increased security concerns after the Pahalgam terrorist attack. In 2010, a session titled "Illegal Bangladeshis in India: Impact on Internal Security" was organized by Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis under the chairmanship of Ajit Kumar Doval.

Illegal migration to India and its impact were discussed in detail. In that session, it was revealed that between one and two crore illegal Bangladeshis are living in India. This is more of a threat to the internal security of the country than a burden on India's resources.