Mangaluru: Karnataka’s crackdown on illegal immigration has intensified after Mangaluru City Police traced six suspected illegal Bangladeshi immigrants working at a construction site in Suratkal on the outskirts of the coastal city on July 10.
Addressing reporters, Mangaluru City Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy said the six Bangladeshi nationals were found working as labourers at an under-construction private hospital building near Mukka in Suratkal police station limits. Preliminary investigations indicate they had arrived through a labour contractor and were employed without proper verification of their nationality and immigration status.
The Commissioner said a detailed report has been forwarded to the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO). Following verification, the FRRO will issue necessary directions regarding their detention and deportation in accordance with the provisions of the Foreigners Act and other applicable laws.
Police are also investigating the route through which the six individuals entered Karnataka, the authenticity of the documents in their possession, and whether local contractors or intermediaries knowingly facilitated their employment.
The latest case comes amid heightened surveillance across Karnataka following intelligence inputs regarding the possible movement of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants into southern states.
Bengaluru Police had earlier directed all police stations to remain alert after reports suggested that stricter enforcement against illegal immigration in West Bengal could result in undocumented migrants attempting to move to other states, including Karnataka
Authorities, however, have not established any direct evidence linking the Suratkal case with recent political developments in West Bengal. Investigators are examining the travel history of the detained individuals before arriving at any conclusions.
The detection in Mangaluru is part of a wider crackdown on illegal foreign nationals across Karnataka. In Bengaluru, police have conducted several large-scale verification drives in recent months. During one such operation, more than 120 suspected illegal Bangladeshi nationals were detained from makeshift settlements in the city and handed over to the FRRO for verification and further legal action.
According to figures placed before the Karnataka Legislature earlier this year, more than 320 illegal Bangladeshi immigrants had been detected across the state over the previous two years, with Bengaluru accounting for the majority of the cases
Police officials said verification drives are continuing across the coastal districts as well as Bengaluru, Mysuru and other urban centres where large numbers of migrant workers are employed. Contractors, builders and employers have been asked to verify the identity and legal status of workers before engaging them.
The issue has also generated political debate. Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje on Friday urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to review Karnataka’s proposed Permanent Resident Certificate (PRC) framework, alleging that it could be misused by illegal Bangladeshi immigrants if adequate citizenship verification mechanisms are not incorporated.
Meanwhile, police have also been verifying reports of groups of migrant workers arriving in different parts of Karnataka. Verification exercises have been intensified at railway stations, labour camps and construction sites to distinguish Indian migrant workers from foreign nationals staying in the country without valid documents.
Officials emphasised that every person identified during the verification drives undergoes document scrutiny and legal verification before any action is taken. They also cautioned against assuming nationality solely based on appearance or language, noting that citizenship must be established through due legal process. Recent court proceedings have also highlighted the importance of proper identity verification before deportation.
In the Suratkal case, the six suspected Bangladeshi nationals remain under investigation. Once the FRRO completes its verification, authorities will initiate deportation proceedings if they are found to be residing in India illegally.
