Dist admns told to set up 'detention centres' for illegal B'desh nationals

Bhubaneswar: The state govt has initiated measures to deport illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, with district collectors receiving instructions to establish ‘detention centres' for holding foreigners until their repatriation.

"We are in the process of finalising the SOP on identification and deportation of illegal Bangladeshis. Adequate detention or holding centres will be established to house Bangladeshis following their identification," a senior govt official told TOI.

According to sources, all police stations have been asked to utilise human intelligence for identifying undocumented Bangladeshis under their jurisdictions. These individuals typically work as street vendors, construction labourers, masons and marine fishermen in Odisha.

"We will register cases and initiate legal action against those illegal immigrants involved in organised crimes in Odisha. Those illegal foreigners, whose backgrounds are clean, will be deported without them facing any legal action," the official added.

Officials note that Bangladeshi Hindus who entered India before Dec 31, 2014 may get exemption from deportation. The CAA provisions allow citizenship for six religious minorities — Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian — who faced persecution in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh and migrated to India before Dec 31, 2014.

Following attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh last year, states intensified crackdown against illegal Bangladeshis, as directed by the Union home ministry. The drive gained momentum after the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22.

Official statistics reveal that Odisha identified 3,740 illegal Bangladeshi immigrants until 2021. Kendrapada reported the highest number at 1,649, followed by Jagatsinghpur with 1,112. Malkangiri (655), Bhadrak (199), Nabarangpur (106), Bhubaneswar (17) and Bargarh (2) also reported illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.