150 Bangladeshi nationals shifted to West Bengal for deportation from JK

Srinagar: As many as 150 Bangladeshi nationals, allegedly residing illegally in Jammu and Kashmir, were moved to West Bengal on Monday as part of the process to deport them, PTI reported, quoting officials.

According to the officials, as quoted by the news agency, the Jammu and Kashmir administration, with assistance from the local police, conducted a survey across the Kashmir Valley and identified around 600 Bangladeshi nationals who were allegedly staying in the region without valid documentation.

The individuals were housed at a camp operated by the Srinagar Police before being transported to Bagdogra, from where they are expected to be sent back to Bangladesh.

A group of 150 people was flown to Bagdogra on Monday on a special Indian Air Force aircraft. Upon arrival, they were handed over to personnel of the Border Security Force (BSF), the officials said.

Another group of 150 Bangladeshi nationals is scheduled to be deported on October 7, they added.

The development follows the Union Home Ministry’s decision to establish a High-Level Committee on Demographic Change (HLCDC) to examine the presence of illegal immigrants in border areas and assess related demographic shifts.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration had told the committee that approximately 600 Bangladeshi nationals had been identified in different districts of the Union Territory.

The Ministry of Home Affairs constituted the HLCDC on May 26 to examine demographic changes resulting from illegal immigration and other factors, and to suggest measures to address the issue. The committee has been given one year to submit its report.

The HLCDC has also sought information from states and Union Territories on “visible changes” in the religious composition of districts, industrial clusters and border areas over the past 15 years, officials said.

In communications sent to states and UTs over the past two months, the committee requested year-wise data showing demographic changes, along with other administrative information. It also sought state governments’ assessments of major demographic trends and data on the religious composition of tribal populations since 2011.

The committee, headed by retired Justice Prakash Prabhakar Navlekar, has been tasked with scientifically examining demographic changes in different parts of the country arising from illegal immigration and other unusual factors. It will study the causes behind these changes and recommend appropriate policy, legislative and administrative measures.