‘Illegal migrants shall be deported’: Manipur govt issues advisory to prevent illegal entry into state

After Nagaland, the Manipur government issued an advisory on Wednesday, stepping up vigil along all international, inter-state, and inter-district borders amidst concerns over possible infiltration due to unrest in neighbouring countries,, an official statement said.

The home commissioner, N Ashok Kumar, directed all deputy commissioners (DCs) and superintendents of police (SPs) to implement a robust mechanism to prevent illegal entry into the state, news agency PTI reported.

“In view of apprehension of influx of illegal immigrants into the state especially due to the turmoil situation in neighbouring countries, all deputy commissioners and superintendent of police shall keep robust mechanism to prevent anyone from crossing into state boundaries illegally and shall ensure to maintain utmost vigil at international, inter-state and inter-district boundaries so as to prevent any such movement,” the statement added.

It also stated that, “Any such movement, if detected, should be immediately reported and biographic and biometric details of such persons captured mandatorily.”

The statement added that such illegal migrants shall have to be put at “secured designated locations for providing shelter and humanitarian support without allowing them to get mixed up or naturalised with local populace” and “all such illegal migrants shall be deported after following due procedures.”

It added, “Deputy Commissioners shall constitute district-level committees with members from district police to conduct checking at all suspected locations and shall conduct regular review of the same.”

“Deputy Commissioners shall regularly monitor the exit-entry points under the border pass system,” it said.

The directive by the Manipur government came as eviction drives continue in neighbouring Assam.

Assam State BJP on Tuesday said that the ongoing eviction drives will continue till every inch of illegally encroached land in Assam is freed. “This is not merely an administrative step; it is the final battle to safeguard the very existence of Assam,”said the BJP, Assam Pradesh.

“If anyone believes that a few eviction operations will make us retreat, or that we will bow before intimidating eyes or political pressure, let them be clear–our struggle will not stop until we have accounted for the sacrifices of the martyrs of the Assam movement,” BJP spokesperson Kalyan Gogoi said, echoing the words of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

The Nagaland government had earlier issued an order on Monday, citing apprehension of entry into the state by people displaced by the Assam government’s ongoing eviction drives, The Indian Express reported.