Illegal migrants using Assam as transit route, railways as preferred mode of travel

Guwahati, Oct 19: Despite augmenting the strength of the Border Security Force (BSF) to check infiltration from Bangladesh, Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingya are still managing to sneak into India from the neighbouring country. Interestingly, instead of trying to settle down in Assam and other parts of the Northeast, the foreigners are now trying to move to other parts of India.

From the number of Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingya apprehended from trains and railway platforms, mostly in Assam, it is evident that the foreigners are trying to move to other parts of the country.

Railway Protection Force (RPF) Director General Manoj Yadava told The Assam Tribune that RPF personnel are on the lookout for foreigners and criminals on trains and platforms. He pointed out that the RPF's jurisdiction is only within the railway property.

He said that in 2023, the RPF apprehended 391 Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingya from trains and platforms in the Northeast, mostly in Assam. This year, up to the end of September, the RPF has apprehended 245 foreigners.

As the RPF is not empowered to take up cases against foreigners, the apprehended people were handed over to the Government Railway Police so that such persons could be booked under the provisions of the Foreigners' Act.

Meanwhile, security sources admitted that though infiltration of foreigners has come down, it has not stopped totally.

Those apprehended by the BSF are only a small percentage of foreigners entering India from Bangladesh illegally as Assam Police pushed back more than 110 foreigners to Bangladesh only in August and September this year.

Sources also said that with the Assam Government launching eviction drives in different parts of the State, the new infiltrators do not consider Assam a safe place to settle down. That is why they are trying to fan out to different parts of the country. Railways is one of the modes of transportation and they also take buses to move to West Bengal and other parts of the country, sources added.

-By Ramanuj Dutta Choudhury