Managing illegal immigrants The Excelsior 15 Feb 2025 Maj Gen Harsha Kakar
Managing illegal immigrants The Excelsior 15 Feb 2025
Illegal immigrants are not a US problem alone. They exist all over the world, spreading from the American continent to Europe to India. The US has illegals from all parts of the globe, traversing treacherous routes, entering ultimately through Mexico or Canada. Europe has them arriving either by land or sea, largely from West Asian trouble spots and Africa. Australia claims it has 70,000 illegals. Illegals in India enter via Bangladesh, whether they be its own residents or Rohingyas.
In some instances, illegals are considered vote banks and encouraged. In the US, it emerges that the Biden administration encouraged their entry as they were Democrat vote banks in recently concluded elections. The US claims that there are between 11 to 15 million illegal immigrants. Recent immigrants were housed and even provided legal and medical assistance in states run by Democrats.
A report of 2023 mentions that over 29 million illegal immigrants entered Europe in the past decade. Initially EU had placed quotas for all states on accepting them but that was resisted by few. A report of Jun last year mentions, ‘The ethnic composition of Europe is changing under the influence of immigration.’ It adds, ‘London, Paris, Amsterdam and Berlin are becoming multinational metropolises where the share of the native population is significantly decreasing.’
Finally, in Oct last year, led by Italian PM, Giorgia Meloni, EU leaders began considering a new legislation to speed up migrant returns. Demography in many European nations is changing alongside increasing crime rates.
A government of Canada report of Nov 2022 mentions, ‘There are no accurate figures representing the number or composition of undocumented immigrants residing in Canada. Estimates from academic sources range between 20,000 and 500,000 persons, although there may be more.’ A report last week mentioned that 20,000 Indian students went missing in Canada and did not join their educational institutes.
India has been grappling with illegal immigrants from Bangladesh for decades. The IMDT (Illegal Immigrants Determination Appellate Tribunal) passed by the Central government in 1983 failed to be effective. Illegal immigration and changing demography were the cause of the 1979-80 Assam agitation.
The IMDT was finally struck down by the Supreme Court in 2005. Further, the government policy then was that illegals arrested were to be placed on a train and returned to Kolkata, without escort, from where they would be deported by the BSF. This was a waste as they disembarked at the next station and vanished.
Nations have attempted to handle illegal immigrants in different ways. Human rights organizations have always sought to prevent their deportation. A report from the European Centre for Law and Justice of Jun last year mentioned that the European Court of Human Rights prohibits States from sending an immigrant back to their country of origin if the immigrant is likely to face mistreatment or serious human rights violations. It is relatively easy for a migrant to claim refugee status because of his political or religious beliefs.
A report in the Business Times of Oct 2022 mentions, ‘Thousands of people mainly from Punjab have sought asylum in Canada citing political persecution in India because they support Khalistan. After escaping from India, 6,537 people have applied to the Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada, over the last 10 years for citizenship.’
Many have obtained letters claiming persecution for supporting Khalistan on payment from pro-Khalistan Indian politicians. None of their claims were ever verified, a cause for deteriorating Indo-Canadian ties. Canada continues to face an influx of refugees, mostly illegal, who subsequently claim refugee status.
India is burdened with illegal immigrants from Bangladesh as also Rohingyas from Myanmar. A report by Refugees International of May 2023 mentions, ‘Several organizations and individuals within India have introduced cases or challenges to government policies (on deporting Rohingyas) in India’s courts.’ It adds that the US must encourage countries like India to protect Rohingyas.
Recent crackdowns on illegal Bangladeshis reveal that many have obtained false identities in India through fraudulent means, including by paying for it. It appears to be a well-oiled exploitation racket. There are also reports emerging of them being provided voter IDs by political parties seeking to exploit them for vote bank politics.
The fact remains that all who arrive illegally have broken laws of the nation which they have entered and hence should be treated as criminals. Nations consider citizenship to those who deserve them but not to those who enter illegally. It is the manner in which they are deported which is questioned. Being criminals, the onus and methodology of deportation rests with the nation deporting.
Nations across the globe have been returning illegals at a steady pace, though this is generally done by placing them on flights on state expense. Rarely have they been chained and returned on military flights. A Canadian report mentions that in 2022-23, ‘23,000 undocumented migrants were deported, at a cost of more than USD 111 million. As per Eurostat data, ‘out of 96,115 non-EU citizens who were ordered to leave the EU between May and August 2024, less than a third (25,285) actually left the bloc.’ Voluntary deportation never works.
India’s recent crackdown on illegal Bangladeshis has resulted in some being identified. This could just be the tip of the iceberg. There are claims that India hosts upto 20 million illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. India’s Supreme Court recently pulled up the Assam government on delays in deporting those declared as foreigners and keeping them in detention centres. While the process of identifying them continues, there are no inputs on their deportation. This is because Bangladesh may not be willing to accept them as their residents.
The question which remains at the end of the day for either the US or India is that how serious are governments on deporting illegals. There is a view that the current rate of deportations from the US is a publicity stunt to display fulfilling a poll promise and would end soon. Further, the manner in which they are deported is aimed at sending a message to those seeking to enter illegally is that they would be treated as criminals and deported.
In India too, prior to elections, the exercise of identifying illegals commences, more for publicity than reality, but rarely is taken to conclusion. It is to be seen if it will be this time.