Taking serious note of the arrest of three suspected Bodo militants from Assam, near Perumbavoor, the Ernakulam Rural police have chalked out a strategy, which is a mix of improved surveillance and measures to win the confidence of the migrant community.
The aim is to weed out criminal elements and illegal migrants, including Rohingyas, trying to slip in under the garb of migrant workforce. Resurgence in the influx of migrants is also anticipated in the wake of the churning in Assam over the implementation of the National Register of Citizens.
“We have received intelligence reports over the last few months that illegal migrants, especially Rohingyas, may move to various places in south India, especially Kerala,” J. Himendranath, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Kochi City), who also holds charge of District Police Chief (Ernakulam Rural) told The Hindu .
Since trains are considered to be their preferred mode of conveyance, security has been stepped up at railway stations for ensuring proper verification and surveillance of migrant labourers with the active participation of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Railway Police (RP). The Ministry of Home Affairs had issued guidelines to deport illegal migrants, including Rohingyas, as per the procedures, said Mr. Himendranath.
Railways
A State-level security meeting of Railways has decided to hold monthly meetings of RPF, RP and local police stations concerned, chaired by the District Police Chief, as a platform to chalk out security measures. The contractors and employers hiring migrant labourers have been asked to ensure proper verification and keep proper database and report suspicious activities immediately to the police. Benoy Peter, executive director, Centre for Migration and Inclusive Development, who argues for the term ‘undocumented migrants’ instead of illegal migrants, said migrant workers should be taken into confidence, whereby they would report suspicious elements among them to law enforcement agencies.
The migrant corridor between Kerala and West Bengal has led to the flow of Bangladeshi nationals with Indian documents to migrant-intense places in Aluva.
Often they were found to possess original ID proofs such as Aadhaar card, said police sources. However, arresting a foreign national poses a major headache to the police as they have to follow a laborious process involving the embassy and the high commission of the country concerned to secure a travel permit for the detained nationals who then will have to be escorted up to the border.
