Amit Shah Directs Security Agencies to Identify and Deport Illegal Immigrants

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has issued strict directions to security agencies to identify and deport illegal immigrants. The Centre has said the directive was issued to ensure strong action against cross-border infiltration, terrorism, drug trafficking, cybercrime and illegal immigration.

However, the directive comes at a time when there is considerable confusion over documents used to establish citizenship in the country. The Centre and the Union Home Minister are allegedly attempting to implement a clear communal agenda and deport those whose names have been deleted through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Protests against the move have already been reported.

The voter roll intensive revision, which was completed in haste, has resulted in the deletion of 6.8 crore voters across nine states and three Union Territories. The Centre had earlier clarified that Aadhaar cards and passports would not be accepted as documents to establish citizenship.

This could create a situation where people who are not included in the voter list revised through the SIR would have no documents to establish their citizenship. In such a situation, the directive to security agencies is being viewed as a deliberate move to facilitate the removal of people deemed undesirable.