Author: Legal Corespondent
Publication: The Hindu
Date: April 16, 2009
URL: http://www.hindu.com/2009/04/16/stories/2009041661190900.htm
Introduction: Bench approves the status report
filed by the Home Ministry
32 tribunals have been set up for detention of illegal migrants
The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the
Centre to continue the steps taken by it to check illegal immigration and
infiltration from Bangladesh and for their effective deportation after proper
identification.
A three-Judge Bench of Chief Justice K.G.
Balakrishnan, Justices P. Sathasivam and J.M. Panchal gave this direction
disposing of a writ petition filed by the All-India Lawyers' Forum highlighting
the problem of foreign nationals, i.e. the Bangladeshis, crossing our borders.
It was alleged that a large number of Bangladeshis
were illegally entering India and it caused huge social and law and order
problems.
The Bench recorded and approved the steps
taken by the Centre as mentioned in the status report filed by the Union Home
Ministry and gave the above direction.
The report said "fencing works has been
taken up under Phase I and Phase II projects along Indo-Bangladesh border
(IBB). Out of the 857.37 km length of sanctioned fencing, 854.35 km of fencing
was completed under Phase I and the remaining 3.02 km border could not be
fenced due to undemarcated international border."
It said that "under Phase II project
the government has sanctioned additional feasible length of 2,579 km of fencing
along IBB. Out of this 1,782.31 km of fencing has already been completed and
the remaining sanctioned works are in progress. Requisite funds are being
sanctioned for completion of the balance works. The detection and deportation
of illegally staying foreign nationals (including Bangladeshi nationals) in
India is an ongoing process and a total of 32 tribunals have been set up for
detention of illegal migrants."
The report also said that round-the-clock
surveillance of the border was being done by the Border Security Force; 383
more border outposts (BOPs) along the IBB had been set up to reduce the inter-BOP
distance for effective border domination and hi-tech surveillance equipment,
including night vision devices, had been inducted.
Nationality verification of foreign nationals/illegal
migrants detected as illegal migrants/Bangladesh nationals was regularly taken
up with the government of Bangladesh for their deportation.
The Bangladesh government had also been urged
to take effective steps to check illegal movement of their nationals into
India, especially through vulnerable and riverine areas.
