India has witnessed a large influx of migrants for a variety of reasons. While some have crossed the border legally, others have sneaked into the country through unauthorized routes. The issue of illegal immigrants has become one of the most politically sensitive and controversial issues in contemporary India. Although it is a global phenomenon involving various countries, it has become the cause of intense debate in India.
Political Factors: There are many political factors that contribute to the immigration of people from Bangladesh and Pakistan into India. Some specific political factors that make Hindu immigrants immigrate to India include:
These three factors are major causes of exodus from Bangladesh and Pakistan into other countries and specifically into India. They build on one another as the immigrants continue to move out of their country of origin and settle in India.
Religious Discrimination: The land is a particularly contentious issue in the Indian Union, where disagreements, disputes, and indeed conflicts over land rights are endemic. This research paper will examine the root causes of the migration of the Hindus from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) to India. It will focus on the discrimination in East Pakistan and examine how vested interest groups and corrupt administrators manipulated the laws and regulations to dispossess and alienate the Hindus from their own land and property.
Growing Population: One of the reasons can be population growth. Growing population creates greater demands on resources such as land, food, energy, water and forest products, and their consequent overuse results in deterioration of quality. This process, in turn, encourages inequality in resource distribution among the rich and poor as the rich corner them and deny the poor their share.
Porous Borders: Indian border management is rendered complex, because of its long and porous international borders with Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. The open border between India and Nepal adds to the problems that India faces. Much of the economic burden of managing this porous international border falls upon Indian states which are immediate neighbors of these countries.
Stagnant Economic Growth and Lack of Employment: India’s neighboring countries like Nepal and Bangladesh have a much higher rate of employment. Bordering states with open economies like Nepal and Bangladesh, India faces high economic costs of illegal entry through the porous borders. The border traverses a range of natural and cultural landscapes, which pose a challenge to its effective management.
Clashes due to Insecurity: The consequences of illegal migration in India include increased insecurities that arise from clashes between the citizens of India and migrants, loss of life and property of migrants, violation of constitutional rights, increasing social tensions.
Political Instability: The origin of the migration can also contribute to the ensuing political instability. If the migrants are from a different ethnic group or religion than the local population, this adds fuel to the existing tension. If the migrants originate from another country and settle without any permission from that country or if they cross international borders before entering a destination country illegally, it incurs diplomatic tension and may lead to military aggression.
False Information: The problem of illegal migration is rooted in the deficiency of our passport, visa and immigration system. The security controls are not foolproof. There have been instances of foreign nationals who had obtained a voter identity card in Assam after providing false information. How many such foreigners were given voter identity cards is not known; however, the Election Commission should make available to the public the number of foreign nationals who have applied for and received voter identity cards in India's northeastern states, along with the non-citizenship certificate so they can be removed from the voters' list."
Social and Cultural Discord: The foreign migrants tend to flock around settlements in different areas of the host country, imparting their own culture and values. They also tend to take undue advantage of public welfare programs in the countries of settlement, by being below average contributors to the tax kitty.
Disturbance in Law and Order: The alarming rise of illegal migration poses a serious threat to the internal security of our country. The rule of law and integrity of the country are undermined by the illegal migrants who are engaged in illegal and anti-national activities, such as entering the country clandestinely, fraudulently acquiring identity cards, exercising voting rights in India and resorting to trans-border smuggling and other crimes.
Rise of Militancy: The rise of militant movements in Muslim majority areas in Assam is a consequence of illegal migration in India. Such movements could lead to conflicts with the host community which impairs social harmony within the region.
Human trafficking: Human traffickers and smugglers bring in these illegal migrants through the long, porous borders of India both from across seas and other neighboring countries like Bangladesh, Nepal and Myanmar and Pakistan. Illegal migrants pose grave security problems in the country including threats to internal security by way of espionage, violation of human rights through smuggling of arms and drug trafficking. They are also known to indulge in criminal activities and anti-social activities violating the law and order situation.
Tighter Border Controls: India a preferred destination country for millions of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan. This poses many challenges and concerns to India. The recent security plans have increased border controls to the bordering states. Indian government implemented a series of schemes, such as augmenting the manpower of the border-guarding force, increasing the number of border outposts along the border, constructing fences and issuance of multiple identity cards to border population.
Concern to the Local Communities: The growing incidence of illegal migration from Bangladesh into the State of Assam across the international border is causing increasing concern to the local communities as it begins to have an adverse impact on the demographic profile of the region. In some Assamese circles, the influx from Bangladesh is a charged emotive issue with a perceived threat to Assamese culture and security. Even among certain sections of the media, there are those who perceive illegal migration in terms of a threat to sovereignty or citizenship.