Girish Bharadwaj of Bharata Punarutthana Trust has requested Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh to set up a Foreigners Deportation Centre in Bengaluru
Girish Bharadwaj of Bharata Punarutthana Trust which has taken up the issue of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in the state talks to Organiser about the importance of tackling the problem on a war footing. “Identifying illegal living foreigners and deporting them is a huge issue. We must not forget that the crime rate of foreigners is highest among Bangladeshi immigrants. Even if the local police catch them, they secure bail in one crime in one court. Later they move to another place and resume their criminal activities. Without a charge, the local police can’t arrest them. To add to our woes, we have many ‘Human Rights’ activists vying to secure bails to these illegal immigrants accused in one crime or the other”, rues Girish.
Illegal immigrants have been flocking in Bengaluru for many years. File image of arrested Bangladeshis in 2014 who were picked up from Bengaluru
The previous Congress Government constituted a special task force in 2016. The task force was supposed to have teams at district and city levels, and the local police too were entrusted the task of keeping a vigil about such immigrants in their jurisdiction. However, the recent revelations of the NIA put a question mark on the efficacy of the task force. Even the arrests of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants Abdul Hussein, Allauddin and Ahmed Suhel in Bengaluru were made by the immigration officials on the tip-off from central agencies. The sooner the State police and intelligence agencies pull up their socks; it will be easier for both the citizens and the government to handle a ticking time bomb.
Petition to Home Minister for Detention Centres
On September 18, 2018, Girish Bharadwaj of Bharata Punarutthana Trust had requested Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh to set up a Foreigners Deportation Centre in Bengaluru, in his letter.
“It is noticed that the number of illegal Bangladeshi and African illegal immigrants in Bengaluru is rising day by day. Whereas the number of African illegal immigrants is in thousands and that of Bangladeshis is in Lakhs in Bengaluru city alone” reveals the letter.
Further highlighting the importance of the deportation centre, the role of state governments and the threat posed by the illegal immigrants, the letter states, “The Foreigners act of 1946 empowers the Central Government with powers to deport any foreign national under section 3(2) (c) of the Foreigners Act, 1946. These powers to identity & deport illegally staying foreign nationals have also been delegated to the State Governments.”
Girish Bharadwaj, Bharata Punarutthana Trust
Identifying illegal living foreigners and deporting them is a huge issue. We must not forget that the crime rate of foreigners is highest among Bangladeshi immigrants. Even if the local police catch them, they secure bail in one crime in one court. Later they move to another place and resume their criminal activities. — Girish Bharadwaj, Bharata Punarutthana Trust
“Foreigners Act 1946 2(B) specifies that a detention centre should be created. Unfortunately, even after seven decades, there are only three detention centres in the entire country. There is no detention centre in entire southern India.” says Girish reminding the grave situation. “Intelligence reports suggest that there are 1.8 Lakh illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in Bengaluru alone and about 6.3 lakh in entire Karnataka. Hence we suggested the Central Government to open a detention centre in the state too where all the illegal immigrants will be housed”, says Girish talking about the request he had made to Home Minister Rajnath Singh recently. “There has to be a comprehensive strategy & time-bound plan to take action against these illegal immigrants without further delay. The major handicap in deporting such illegal immigrants is the absence of a deportation centre in Bengaluru. Honourable minister! we at this moment request you to kind, set up a deportation centre & deport illegal immigrants”, the trust requests through the letter. In a positive development, the State Government is working on setting up a detention centre at Sondekoppa in Bengaluru North Taluk, informs Girish.
“Detention centre is just one step to solve the problem. We have suggested a four-pronged strategy to tackle the menace. 1) Detention centers in every state 2) IB should handle the cases related to illegal immigrants and constitute a task force to identify them elsewhere 3) Apply Goonda Act on those who provide shelter to these illegal immigrants and 4) Since FRRO has failed in its duties, the Central Government should think of a viable and effective alternative to identify and deport these immigrants.” says Girish.
As stated in the letter by Bharata Punarutthana Trust, the onus is on the State Governments to deport the illegal immigrants. However, vote bank politics and religious favours seem to take the upper hand than the security of the citizens of the state. A couple of years ago, about 300 Bangladeshi children were caught being illegally trafficked at Bengaluru railway station. Much before the police could send them back, a prominent politician of a ‘Secular’ party was said to have rehabilitated them in many Madrasas of Bengaluru.
The presence of illegal immigrants is not only a security-related nightmare but also puts a question mark on the livelihoods and job opportunities of the residents too. The state governments should now rise above their narrow political interests and vote banks and safeguard the lives and livelihoods of their citizens.
