Patriotic People’s Front Assam Urges Centre to Enforce Strict Measures Against Illegal Migration

Guwahati: The Patriotic People’s Front Assam (PPFA), a regional group of nationalist citizens, has urged the Union government to adopt a tougher stance on illegal migration, particularly from Bangladesh. The group raised concerns over the growing threat of illegal migrants to India, calling for a comprehensive policy to identify and deport them.In a statement, the PPFA expressed alarm over the persistent failure of successive governments to tackle the issue, warning that the illegal influx of migrants could displace the majority Hindu population in several regions. The group highlighted a 2016 Rajya Sabha debate, which revealed that approximately 20 million illegal Bangladeshi nationals were residing in India, a number that has risen from the 12 million estimated in 2014. Additionally, they raised concerns about the continued arrival of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, entering India through Bangladesh, potentially exacerbating the situation.The PPFA reminded the public that Assam had sounded the alarm about illegal Bangladeshi migration as early as the 1980s. However, despite these warnings, political leaders and intellectuals largely ignored the issue, which has now led to a crisis in Assam. The forum argued that had the issue been addressed during the Assam agitation of 1979-1985, the country would not be facing the same challenges today.While recognizing the growing national awareness of illegal migration, the PPFA questioned whether political parties, regardless of their position, would take the necessary steps to effectively deal with the issue. The group called for decisive actions to identify and deport illegal migrants, or, if deportation is not immediately feasible due to international constraints, for migrants to be denied voting rights and other benefits.