Illegal Bangladesh migrants living in Haryana without verification pose threat

Tribune News Service

Parveen Arora

Karnal, January 16

The detention of 13 illegal migrants from Bangladesh within a week in Panipat and Jind has brought to light a substantial threat to security as they were found living without any legal documents. An Aadhaar card has also been from one person who hails from Bangladesh.

13 arrested from Panipat, Jind

• 13 illegal migrants were arrested in a week from Panipat & Jind
• Jobs were provided without police verification and they applied for Aadhaar cards without proper verification
• The probe revealed that the apprehended persons had arrived from villages near the western border of Bangladesh

Aadhaar card recovered

We have recovered an Aadhaar card from one person who hails from Bangladesh. We are verifying how he managed to get it. We are also investigating from all angles. Ajit Singh Shekhawat, Superintendent of police, Panipat

Shockingly, these migrants secured employment without undergoing police verification by their employers, highlighting a severe lapse in due diligence. Some even applied for Aadhaar cards and other documents related to address proof through common service centres, emphasising the urgency for stringent verification processes.

According to a source, such detentions may help overcome any threat from miscreants. The Panipat and Jind police have initiated an investigation under the Foreigners Act against them. The focus extends towards identifying agents responsible for facilitating border crossings, connections and obtaining necessary documents for sending payment to Bangladesh. Additionally, the police are actively working towards identifying local agents providing the proof of identity, such as Aadhaar cards and address proofs for mobile phones. The investigation will probe recent travels and interactions to gather further information on illegal activities and associates.

On January 8, the flying squad detained three men, two women, along with a newborn girl, who worked at a bleach house in Paju Khurd in Jind district. The investigation revealed that their contractor Sohrab also came from Bangladesh illegally, arranging labourers from Bangladesh on demand from local employers. Developing the information further, three more persons working at a bleach factory in Safidon were detained, as reported by Ajeet Singh, DSP, CM’s flying squad, Karnal Range.

Similarly, the team members detained four persons in Panipat district, engaged in a similar bleach-related work, on January 15. During the investigation, they admitted that they entered India without proper documentation, passports or visas. The investigation revealed that the apprehended people had recently arrived from villages near the western border of Bangladesh. They cited poverty and unemployment as reasons for crossing the border into India in search of better work opportunities. Sohrab facilitated their entry through agents who made it easier for labourers from Bangladesh to find work in India. The higher value of Indian currency in comparison to that of the Bangladesh currency also attracts them to come to India.

The DSP expressed concern over the employers neglecting due diligence and said the responsibility lay not just with the migrants but equally with those offering them shelter and employment without proper verification under the Foreigners Act. He urged the employers, residential building owners and common service centre operators to verify documents thoroughly before providing jobs or accepting requests for Aadhar card and other documents.

“The employers should verify their documents or get the police verification done before giving them jobs. Owners of the residential buildings should also verify the documents. The owners of the common service centre should obtain all documents before accepting their request for Aadhar card or any other documents,” said the DSP.

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