Illegal migration and cross-border activities are major challenges along the India-Bangladesh border, and marked by a “high degree of porosity”.
According to the report of Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the total length of the India-Bangladesh border is 4,096.7 km, of which 3,145 km is covered by physical fencing and the remaining will be covered by physical and non-physical barriers.
“The Indo-Bangladesh border is marked by a high degree of porosity and the checking of illegal cross border activities and illegal migration from Bangladesh to India have been major challenges,” informed the report.
The Union Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs – Nityanand Rai noted that 2,399 Bangladeshi nationals had fraudulently obtained Indian documents within the last five years.
He said that the centre had asked state government to take prompt measures for identifying illegal Bangladeshi migrants residing across the nation.
Besides, the state government is advised to share the particulars of those illegal migrants, who had wrongfully obtained Aadhaar cards, for appropriate legal action.
The former Union Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs – Kiren Rijiju had informed the Parliament on November 16, 2016 that “there are around 20 million illegal Bangladeshi migrants staying in India”.
“In order to prevent illegal migration and illegal activities including anti-national activities from across the border, the government of India had sanctioned the construction of border fencing with floodlights in two phases,” informed the annual report of MHA.
The non-physical barrier will comprise technological solutions, while sanction has also been accorded to replace the old design fence with a new design fence.
There have been some problems in the construction of fencing in certain stretches on this border due to riverine and low-lying areas, habitations within 150 yards of the border, pending land acquisition cases and protests by the border population, which have delayed the completion of the project, the report said.