In a crackdown on “illegal immigrants” staying in Odisha, the state government has directed the Special Task Force (STF) of the state’s crime branch to identify them.
Odisha’s Cabinet Minister for Law Prithiviraj Harichandan said Monday that people without valid documents will not be allowed to stay in the state.
This is part of a larger crackdown against undocumented migrants across India in the aftermath of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people – including one Nepal citizen — were killed.
“All the engineering departments and other agencies have been asked not to engage illegal immigrants in any form of employment in the state. The process to start identification of individuals staying illegally in Odisha will be started soon,” Harichandan told reporters in Bhubaneswar.
While the state has a vast coastline of around 480 km – making it easy to enter the state through the water — there have also been instances of undocumented migrants entering by road since the state shares a border with West Bengal.
In March, the STF had arrested 10 Bangladeshi nationals — including a minor — for their “unauthorised entry” into Odisha with valid travel documents. The STF sources said the Bangladeshi nationals had crossed the border illegally with the help of agents near Dhubri border in Assam and came to Bhubaneswar via West Bengal to settle here.
According to STF Deputy Inspector General Pinak Mishra, they have instructions from the state government to identify the illegal immigrants.
“In view of the recent developments in the neighbourhood — including in Bangladesh — and on the western front, we consider the presence of illegal immigrants as a major threat. We are in close coordination with all agencies including district police, intelligence and others. The STF officials have been directed to proactively identify such illegal immigrants from the sensitive areas,” Mishra said.
Various coastal districts — as well as districts such as Malkangiri and Nabarangpur — have been identified as ‘hotspots’ and ‘sensitive areas’ for undocumented migrants, officials said. In these areas, the STF has been asked to keep a close watch.
According to a response from Chief Minister Mohan Majhi in the Odisha Assembly this March, Odisha has 3,740 undocumented migrants from Bangladesh. Of these, the highest — 1,649 — is Kendrapara followed by 1,112 in Jagatsinghpur.
