JAMMU, Aug 11: Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) on Tuesday welcomed the visit of the Centre’s High-Level Committee on illegal immigration to Jammu and urged the Union Government to ensure the time-bound identification and deportation of illegal Rohingya and Bangladeshi nationals, besides enacting a stringent legal framework to deal with illegal immigration.
The committee, headed by retired Justice Prakash Prabhakar Naolekar, is on a three-day visit to Jammu to review issues related to illegal immigration.
Addressing a press conference, Shiv Sena (UBT) Jammu & Kashmir unit president Manish Sahni said the issue of illegal Rohingya and Bangladeshi immigrants extends beyond law and order and has implications for national security, border management, Jammu’s demographic balance, employment opportunities for local youth and overall social stability.
Referring to what he described as publicly available reports and information, Sahni claimed that concerns over the presence of illegal immigrants have been raised for years in Jammu, Samba, Doda, Kishtwar, Rajouri, Poonch and the Hiranagar Holding Centre. He also cited the recent apprehension of 21 suspected illegal Bangladeshi nationals in Banihal, saying the incident highlighted the seriousness of the issue.
The Shiv Sena leader demanded a time-bound exercise to identify, verify and deport illegal Rohingya and Bangladeshi nationals in accordance with law. He also sought an impartial probe into alleged networks and individuals accused of providing shelter, employment, rental accommodation, identity documents or other assistance to illegal immigrants, and called for strict legal action against anyone found guilty.
Sahni further urged the Centre to enact a comprehensive law providing a clear legal mechanism for the identification, detention and time-bound deportation of illegal foreign nationals, while prescribing stringent penalties for those found facilitating their illegal stay in the country.